Bloody Kisses
by BunyBuny11
Summary: Zero/Kaname yaoi slash work - As Zero finally turns and falls prey to his vampire instincts, Kaname knows he must do something; however the dangerous game he sets into motion has unintended results for both of them.
1. Chapter 1

**Bloody Kisses**

There's blood on my hands. In fact, there is blood everywhere, on my face, dripping down and staining my once white shirt a deep red. In my mouth, the copper taste I once hated – only now it is sweet. I want more and I hate myself for it. I can't believe I slipped, even though, even though I knew it was coming. All these years, trying to push the truth aside but still knowing deep down what my destiny was to become. I sit up further in the bed, the blankets are warm but they give me no comfort. The cold steel in my hands is the only option now. I tilt the gun and Bloody Rose catches the light and shines. Once my weapon and now a means to an end, my old friend can serve me one last time.

As I am about to place the gun to my temple it happens, the door flies open with such force it slams into the wall and almost breaks the hinges. Of course, it would have to be, in my final moments he comes to gloat. I point the gun at him. If he thinks he is going to stop me or be the one that ends my life, he is sadly mistaken. If need be, I'll take him with me. It doesn't matter anymore, nothing matters anymore. "Kuran I don't know what the hell you think you are doing but if you don't leave now, I will shoot you." No reaction, the bastard even smirks and then calmly closes the door and locks it. Whatever he has planned, I want no part of it. I cock the gun. "Really Zero?" He waves his hand and suddenly I can't move. I'm frozen as if bound by invisible chains. "You can't kill a pureblood that easily. Even you should know that." He walks towards me, slowly taking off his coat and dropping it to the floor. Undoing his tie and letting it fall as well. "I'm doing what must be done. Cleaning up your mess and stopping things before they go to far." One pale hand reaches out, long white fingers like the legs of an obscene nocturnal spider. They play upon my arm, lightly grazing the skin before settling on the revolver and gently pulling it from my grasp. He lets it fall to the floor. The chain tying me to the weapon rattling and tugging me toward it. Yet still I'm frozen, an insect trapped in amber. I'm at this monster's mercy and there is nothing I can do about it. In one smooth motion he pulls my arms down to either side of my body and straddles me. Powerful legs pinning me to the bed, pushing me back against the headboard with no chance of escape. One hand fumbles at my waist and my breath catches. "What are you doing?" He stops seeming to find what he was looking for, there is a click and he holds up the end of the chain. He stares at me with his dark brown eyes, so unreadable, one eyebrow arching up and a smile playing upon his lips. "I'm doing anything I want." He lets the chain drop. "I'm just making sure you don't do anything stupid in the heat of the moment." Before I can question further, his lips are on mine. Tasting, licking, kissing – an intimate embrace like I've never had before. I've never felt so violated so used yet my body responds. My damn body responds, heat rising and desire pooling deep inside. As his tongue pushes into my mouth, I feel myself open and I'm kissing him back with a hunger I've never felt before. Long black hair brushes my face and I can smell him now, cinnamon and musk and blood. Just as I'm falling into sensation and craving more he pulls away. Brown eyes now a deep red as he licks the blood from his lips. "Yuki's blood." A statement, not a question, he knows. "You could have killed her." My head snaps to the side, the only movement I have left. "No, never. I could never hurt her." He grabs my chin and forces me to look at him. "You won't always be able to control yourself. Even now you are slipping." My eyes flash and my face burns, both with shame and anger. "Then kill me. Just do it. Put the rapid dog down. It was what I was going to do before you so rudely burst in." He smiles at me but it's sad now. I don't want his pity. I don't want anyone's pity, I just want it to end already. I'm tired of fighting. "No Zero. She cares for you. Your death would wound her deeply and I can't bear to cause her any pain." I look down, my eyes burning, filling with tears. I don't want to hurt her either. It's the last thing I want to do. He puts one finger under my chin and forces my head back up, locking eyes with me. "There's one thing I can do. At the very least it will buy us some time." Then the bastard is smiling again, enjoying himself. Again, with his lightening quick movements, so unexpected and he is at my ear. His lips ever so gently grazing my tender skin. His voice whispering in my ear, soft yet powerful. "I need to punish you too. One way or another you need to learn your place. You don't feed from her." A dark chuckle and his tongue again dragging slowly up the curve of my ear. "This is actually the perfect punishment. You will replay this scenario in your head again and again. Late at night, during a quiet moment during the day, your memories will rush in and you will relive it all again. Hating yourself, loving it, wanting it again, wanting more, wanting me." A trail of hot kisses down my neck, over my tattoo and then the pain. White hot lightening piercing me as his teeth tear my flesh and just when I thought I would shatter into a million pieces. The waves came crashing down, pleasure flooding me like I had never felt before and at the same time he released me from my hold and I could move but I didn't want to run anymore. My arms clung to him, pulling him closer, my fingers clawing his back as he drinks my blood. I was dimly aware of a low sound and suddenly realized I was hearing myself softly moaning. "Oh Kaname." Then he pulled back and it felt like I was falling. A rug yanked out from under me. "No." I clutched at him, trying to pull him back. Then the hunger with its crushing power. More powerful than I had ever felt before, worse than when I had attacked Yuki. He was watching me closely, licking my blood from his lips. He was smiling sadly again although now it touched his eyes. The sadness reflected back from those burning garnet eyes, those blood red vampire eyes. "I'm sorry Zero but I knew you wouldn't take it voluntarily. You need it and now in this state you can't resist me." He grabbed his shirt and violently ripped downward, silver rose buttons scattering through the air and baring his pale white chest and neck to me. He pulled me toward him, pressing my face into his neck. "Drink." And I did. He was right. I couldn't help myself. My fangs pierced the pure white flesh and the blood red nectar of a pureblood filled my mouth. And I drank, now with him clinging to me and me pulling him down. I drank deeply, heart racing, sweat dripping from my body and when I heard him softly whimper I bit down harder. He's right, whether I want to admit it or not. It was ecstasy. It was like searching for something your entire life and finally finding it, the best thing in the world. And although I do burn with shame, I long for it again. His touch, his kisses, his teeth buried in my neck as his hands roamed over my body. I long to taste him again, to drink from that sacred well. Too soon he was pushing me back and pulling away. "Zero enough." And though I hardly felt sated I obeyed. He collapsed next to me on the bed with a sigh and I was frightened. I had taken too much, I had hurt him. My hands brushed the hair from his eyes. "Kaname! Kaname, are you okay? I didn't mean…" One eye opened and he reached up and pulled me down beside him. Our noses touched and he silently studied me. "Shhhh, you can't hurt me. I'm just tired now. I need to rest and so do you." He pulled me closer, arms wrapping around me. I could move now, he had broken the spell. I could have pulled away. I could have gotten out of that bed and stormed away but I didn't. I closed my eyes and with a contented sigh I went to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

I woke several hours later, blessedly alone. For a brief moment I entertained the idea that is was all just a bad dream, a nightmare. I sat up and immediately knew it hadn't been an illusion. I felt different. I felt - better. I touched my neck. Any evidence of our encounter had by now faded away thanks to my quick healing vampire abilities. The outside world wouldn't know but I did. My skin tingled, a strange pins and needles sensation that was not unpleasant but more reassuring. Is that what it always felt like to be bitten by a vampire? I cast my mind back four years but that time in my life has always been a blur. It's all fear and anger and pain permeated with the stench of blood. My hand clenched into a fist, nails digging into my palms and before I know it that same smell perfumes the air. I turn my hand over and look at the small bloody half moon crescents carved into my flesh. Yeah, stench, not anymore, now it smells good. It smells appetizing. I stand up, it's not just the slight tingle. For the first time in weeks, hell months, I feel normal. My head doesn't hurt. The pain is gone, the stabbing pain that could double me up and drive me to my knees. I look back at the bed. Was it worth it? Trading my dignity so that bastard could get his kicks and I could have my health back? He had enjoyed it. I buried my head in my hands. Had I? No, no I had not! I didn't have a choice, he had forced my hand. He had done his little pure blood tricks and had trapped me like a fly in a spider's web. A soft voice not my own spoke in my head, "Keep telling yourself that, deep down you know the truth." I spun around and kicked the dresser as hard as I could and then immediately wanted to take it back as the wood shattered into splinters across the floor. Great, just great, now I had Kaname's voice in my head, so much for the "not going crazy" part. I guiltily studied the wooden shards strewn across the floor and now I needed a new dresser too. My little pity party was interrupted by a pounding on the door. "Zero! We are going to be late for class. Get moving already." Yuki, come to save the day. I quickly grabbed my clothes and made for the door.

 **Later**

I'd been doodling absently on my paper, once again trapped in my damn head. The harder I tried not to think about it, the more I thought about it. I think I hated him even more now. I ground the pencil into the paper until the end snapped off. "Zero!" Yuki punched me in the arm. "Would you wake up and move! It's time for us to go on patrol." She grabbed the paper from in front of me and waved it in my face. "Seriously, you didn't take any notes. Were you paying attention at all?" I picked up my books and snatched the paper from her hand. "As a matter of fact, Yuki, yes I was." She didn't look convinced and took the doodle sheet away from me again. "What are you drawing anyway?" She looked down at it. "It kind of looks like Kaname with a bunch of knives sticking out of…" This time I tore it from her grasp and crumbled it up tossing it behind me. "Didn't you say we had to go on patrol?" She looked absentmindedly from the paper to me. "Yeah sure, come on." We walked out of the now empty classroom into the growing twilight. Ahead of us I could already see the day class girls milling about, hoping to catch a site of their favorite night class male. Yuki took one side as I took the other and began to push the giggling gaggle back. "Get back!" I none too gently pushed them off the sidewalk when I caught motion from the corner of my eye. One first year student was trying to sneak away. I turned and yelled at her. "Get back now!" She squeaked like a scared mouse and ran behind the rest of the group. I heard the familiar grinding of the hinges as the ancient iron gate of the moon dorm began to open and then the fangirl screams as the night students began to make their way to class. I kept my back turned, shunning their presence. Creatures that shouldn't even be allowed to live and I had to help protect them and their secrets. My attention was fully upon squeaky mouse girl who was again trying to make her way around her friends when the hand fell upon my shoulder. I jumped and spun and there he was again, Kaname Kuran in all his smug nobility with a little secret half smile. My breath caught and I took a step back, too much too soon. I hadn't even wanted to see him and now here he was in front of me with those insolent eyes. "How are you feeling today?" His words dripped with double meanings. I tried to look like he hadn't rattled me but I knew it was too late. "I'm fine." He looked me up and down like I was a piece of livestock he was thinking about buying. "I bet you are." From behind him half of the night class had stopped moving and were looking curiously at the two of us. Aido shouted, "Lord Kaname we will be late." He glanced at them and then back at me before turning and calling back over his shoulder. "Take care Zero." And then they were gone disappearing into the building as the sound of the day class girls sighed with frustrated disappointment. In moments the courtyard was empty again as night fell across the campus. I was still looking at the closed door when Yuki spoke behind me. "That was strange, what did Kaname want with you?" I spun around. "Nothing!" She stared up into my eyes, "Why are you blushing?" I looked at her exasperated. "I'm not!" I stormed off in the other direction. "Zero, don't forget the patrols." I didn't answer her, I just kept going. I went to the only place that gave me peace, to the stables. The smell of hay and horses and the quiet that came from just being with the beautiful beasts was the balm I needed now. Even though I was a monster, they didn't fear me. They seemed to understand and I was grateful. I lay on a pile of hay and stared up at the rising moon. No matter what I seemed to do, I always ended up in a corner. One of the horses leaned over and nuzzled me and I stroked her nose thankful for the simple affection that asks nothing in return. I had to get my shit together and quickly. I could tell from Yuki's strange glances that she knew something was off. There was no way I could tell her what had happened. She wouldn't understand. Hell, I didn't understand. I closed my eyes, again feeling that trail of kisses down my throat. My hands clutched at the phantom sensation. Why would he? Could he truly be that cruel of a person?


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

I pressed my forehead against the cold porcelain. It dulled the pain, barely. One month, four weeks, twenty-eight days – that had been the length of my brief reprieve. Now the pain was back. The horrible hunger that made me double over. It had started in the morning as a headache that had gotten progressively worse. Then the cramps and the dizziness. I couldn't tell if it felt worse because I had been free of it for awhile or if I was one step closer to a level E.

All day I had tried to master it but if I was going to be honest with myself, I was failing miserably. I had slipped out the back of the building during our lunch hour and had been wandering ever since. It was getting too hard to be around everyone, especially Yuki. I didn't want to take advantage of her. I know she would offer herself up willingly but I couldn't ask that of her.

Now I had ended up here. Night had long ago fallen and I knew Yuki would be wondering why I had missed the switch over and now the patrols. Why I had abruptly left class and not told her. So, I had gone to the one place on campus that I knew would be deserted. I was in the old moon dorm. It had been abandoned now for a few years and was quickly falling into disrepair. Headmaster Cross would always talk about his plans for turning it into this or that but he could never make up his mind. Now I was on the third floor, in a cobwebbed and dusty bathroom curled into a fetal position laying in the bottom of a tub. I was having a hard time standing and had had to lay down. The cold of the tub was the only comforting thing I had right now.

"You know there are nicer places to take a nap."

I jumped and my eyes shot open. There perched above me on the lip of the tub was Kaname Kuran. His dark brown eyes studying me intently. I turned back, not looking at him.

"Go away Kuran."

I jumped again as a gentle touch brushed the hair out of my face and pressed to my forehead.

"You're burning up. You should have found me as soon as it started again."

I pulled away from his touch.

"I don't want your help. I don't need it."

He laughed with no real mirth.

"You could have fooled me. You know Zero there is a point that if you cross, nothing will bring you back. A point of no return and there will be no means of saving you."

A heavy sigh from above me.

"Come out."

"No!"

"You are so damn stubborn. Come out. I am not crawling in there with you."

I tried to sit up this time to tell him off but fell back. The dizziness was back and the whole room was spinning. Deep down I knew he was right, I couldn't go on much longer like this but another part of me just could not meekly obey him. He stood up and I heard footsteps as he started to walk away. Why was my moment of triumph making me feel so hollow inside? He gave up that easily? He was just going to leave me? I opened my eyes and saw that he had stopped by the wall and then there was a flash of silver in his hand as something caught the moonlight from the windows high above.

"I'll make you come out, if I must."

The scent of blood, the overwhelming pull of it. I actually don't remember getting out of the tub. My next memory is of his voice penetrating the haze of the blood.

"Look at you now. See what you will become if you don't start listening to me. You are just a beast on your knees, bowing down before me with only your hunger controlling you."

I froze. What the hell was I doing. I was indeed on my knees, gripping his wrist so tightly that my knuckles were white and I was lapping up the blood from the deep slice in his palm like a dog. I flung his hand away from me and spun to my feet, charging to the other side of the room. At least I could walk now, the little bit I had was already making me feel better.

"There you are. That's the Zero I know."

His footsteps echoed in the tiled bathroom. He was coming closer again. The tantalizing smell of his blood igniting a craving in me so deep. But I wouldn't turn around. I didn't want to see the mocking in his eyes. He stopped directly behind me.

"You need more."

I shook my head, still without turning.

"No, I don't. Fine now. Go away!"

He spun me around and slammed me back against the wall pressing his body against mine as I struggled to push him away.

"Would you stop fighting me?"

He managed to catch my one wrist and pin it beside my head but my other kept eluding him.

"You can just get the hell off of …"

And my complaint was cut off as his lips covered mine. That was not what I had been expecting. I wasn't at all prepared for this fighting technique and it worked. I froze and as his tongue pushed into my mouth, I melted. What can I say? That overused troupe of the romantic industry of "my traitorous body responded". Well that was true. That is exactly what happened. My eyes drifted closed and I leaned into the warmth of his body and kissed him back with a desperate urgency. Heat and desire pooled in my stomach and I wanted more. All to soon he pulled away breaking the kiss. I stood there still frozen in a daze. He smiled at me triumphantly but it wasn't a cruel smile; he actually seemed -happy.

"Much better."

My daze turned into pure confusion. Why had I done that? I tried to pull away a little but I was firmly wedged between him and the wall. So instead I just asked the question that I could not get out of my head.

"Why did you do that?"

And I wasn't ready for the response I got.

"Because I wanted to and you have to admit, it's a good way to get you to shut up." He smiled and bit his lip. "Although there are a couple of other things I can think of putting in your mouth that would be fun. You're blushing."

"I, umm, I …"

I just kept doing that sounding like a broken record and I'm pretty sure looking like a deer transfixed by a car's headlights just before it gets mowed down. I was quickly losing control of this situation. Honestly who was I kidding, I did not have control. And I panicked and grabbed for Bloody Rose. As I fumbled with the gun and tried to bring it up, he caught that wrist also, pinning it to the wall and squeezing until with a whimper it fell from my numb fingers. He lowered his head until his mouth was beside my ear.

"Stop fighting _who_ __you are. Stop fighting _what_ you are."

His fangs pierced my neck deeply, biting down hard. My breath caught as the pain and the pleasure rolled over me. Head thrown back and eyes closed, I let go. Let go of the questions, let go of the doubt, let go of the shame and the confusion and just drank it in. We slowly slid down the wall into a tangle of limbs upon the floor. When he pulled my head into his neck, I didn't hesitate. I licked the smooth creamy skin and bit, the blood I had been hungering for so badly filling my mouth. He stopped drinking before me and instead held me as I devoured his blood. One arm across my back pulling me close, his other hand entangled in my hair. I stopped, finally sated but also afraid that I would take too much but he didn't release his hold right away. Instead he just held me close, his head pressed against mine. I closed my eyes, my head resting against his. It felt good to just be held and, in that moment, I didn't question whose arms were around me, I just enjoyed the comfort they gave me. Finally, he pulled away, dark eyes searching mine, probing deeply.

"You look better already. Please don't let it get to this point again. As soon as you start to feel yourself slipping, find me."

He started to get up to leave but there was one thing that was bugging me. I caught his hand before he could slip away.

"Wait. How did you find me? How did you know where I was?"

He looked at me with confusion.

"It's a little hard to hide from a vampire but you should know that." He sat back down looking at my face. "You don't do you? You really need to work on those vampire instincts of yours."

And I was pissed again, anger filling me as the truth was once again thrown in my face. The truth I couldn't escape.

"I don't need any of your damn vampire instincts and I will not…"

He grabbed my arm that I had been gesturing with and pulled it down.

"Stop. Denying it won't change what happened, it won't change what you have become." He sighed rolling his eyes. "Okay think of it like this, you will be a truly powerful hunter if you also have the gifts of a vampire. Actually, you would be **the** most powerful hunter."

As much as I hated to admit it, he did have a point.

"Okay tell me."

He shook his head. "Nope, you're probably just going to get mad again. Then I'm going to have to kiss you to get you to shut up and one thing is going to lead to another and I do have to get back before the others realize I've slipped away." My mouth dropped open and this time he laughed at my look of bewilderment. "And you're blushing again. It's actually kind of cute."

With a lot of difficulty, I pulled myself back to the topic at hand.

"Okay, please, seriously, just tell me."

"All right, I tracked you by your scent."

I shook my head. "Okay that's gross."

"See I told you. You'd get mad. But it's really not, I like the way you smell. It's actually very pleasant."

My turn to sigh and roll my eyes. "Okay whatever, just how do you do it. Explain."

"All right, every human and every vampire, really every living creature has its own unique scent. It's just like a finger print. No two are alike, sometimes family members can be close but there will always be a difference. Then each type of creature has a common underlying smell. Your brain really doesn't know how to process it so it will use your prior associations for familiarity. Like for example, Aido for me smells like the sea, the salt and the water mixed together but for you he might smell like apples, or dirt or anything. So, by scent alone, you can tell who they are and what they are – if it is a friend or a stranger, if it is a vampire or a human. A more powerful sense of smell is one of the most common vampire powers. Everyone has it. You have it right now, it's just getting pushed to your subconscious because you weren't born with it. All you really have to do is practice and focus. Once you start using it, it will become easier until it's just a part of who you are. You won't have to try, it will just be there."

I nodded my head. "Okay, so what do I do?"

He took my face between his hands. "Close your eyes."

I pulled away and started to question his motives but he firmly pulled me back.

"Close your eyes. I'm not going to do anything. Trust me for once."

Well I didn't have much choice. "Okay." I closed my eyes.

"Now try to relax and just clear your mind. Let everything drop away except for my voice and the darkness. Take a deep breath and tell me what you smell."

I listened as best I could, trying to let it all fall away and then I inhaled deeply. "I smell mildew and the mustiness of this place."

His voice, directly in front of me, gentle but firm. "What else?"

I inhaled again, trying to focus. "Mice in the walls and …" I cocked my head "rain outside. It started to rain."

"Good. What else?"

I breathed deeply and there it was, so distinct that I was amazed I hadn't noticed it before. "Cinnamon and an earthy muskiness and then … a faint hint of blood." My eyes flew open. "Oh my God, that's you. I can smell you."

Now Kaname was outright laughing. "Cinnamon? Really? That's how I smell to you." He nodded his head. "I like that. It fits you somehow." Now he stood and brushed the dust from his clothes and then to my amazement leaned over and pulled me to my feet.

"That was a trap."

He nodded his head. "Maybe but it worked. Now you know what to focus on. Try it and keep practicing, the more you use it the better you'll get." He turned and was almost through the door before I called and stopped him again.

"Wait, what do I smell like to you?"

He turned and smiled again. "Strawberries. You smell like fresh strawberries." And then he was gone.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The next morning, I awoke to the smell of baking. That was strange. Headmaster Cross usually only tried his hand in the culinary world for our family dinners. I rubbed my neck; the tingling was back as was that feeling of vitality coursing through my whole body. I wondered how long it would last this time. Did I now have a monthly date with Kaname whether I wanted it or not? Did I want it? I stared down at the floor troubled. Last night he had been… kind? Dare I say even somewhat sweet, as I remembered his arms just holding me. But then my mind flashed back to the "on my knees beast reference", but that was for my own good? Right? I really didn't know how to take him, cruel one moment and kind the next.

I finished getting ready and wandered out into the kitchen that looked as if it had been the major setting of a massive war – and the kitchen had lost. Flour scattered about and smeared across almost every surface, egg shells littering the counter and the floor, and sprays of a light pink batter decorated the walls. Of course, Yuki stood in the middle of it, flour smeared liberally about herself and caught in her hair. She smiled triumphantly as I entered and pushed a cupcake into my hand.

"Zero good, you're here. Taste it! You get the first one. I think I finally got them right."

I peeled the wrapper from the bottom and took a hesitant bite. Actually, it was quite tasty. I nodded towards her. "Yes, I think you did, it's good. What do you mean finally?"

She sighed rubbing her forehead and smearing even more four. "This is the third batch. I've been up all night but then you know what they say – third times the charm!" She smiled and began to arrange the freshly frosted cakes onto a fancy platter. She dramatically placed the last one. "There perfect." Now she glanced back at me. "Are you okay Zero? I couldn't find you anywhere yesterday and you've been acting weird. Do you need more blood? You know I will always give you more."

I looked down at the ground. Yeah Yuki there are a lot of things I'm hiding from you now. How could I possibly tell her any of it? I imagined the look on her face as I recounted the past night and finished up with – so yeah, I am now either the bitch or the boyfriend of your vampire crush. I unconsciously shook my head, nope not something I can just share. "Nothing Yuki, I didn't feel good so I took off for a while but I'm feeling better this morning." I gestured towards the cupcake platter. "Why did you spend all night baking? Is it for a home economics class?"

Yuki stared lovingly at her cupcakes. "No, I actually made them for Kaname and the night class. It's his birthday today. I didn't think I would get a chance to ask him but then as I was searching for you and doing patrols, he came out of the old moon dorm." She looked up at the ceiling. "I wonder what he was doing there," she shrugged her shoulders and smiled again, "but anyway I asked him what's your favorite flavor. Because I wanted to do something nice for him and the other vampires, so I thought cupcakes. And he told me strawberry,"

I inhaled sharply almost dropping the remainder of my cupcake and also sucking a piece of it down my windpipe. As I had an epic coughing fit trying to dislodge said piece of cupcake, Yuki calmly carried on.

"I wouldn't really have pegged him for a strawberry person. I would have thought chocolate." Yuki finally looked over at me. "What is wrong with you? Would you be careful, you are going to get cupcake all over the floor."

She finally handed me a glass of water before she and her culinary creation where out the door. I drank it down and felt better. I considered throwing the rest of my cake away but then gave up and ate it. It really was good. I hadn't even noticed it was strawberry until she had said something. What was Kaname doing? I had no clue, all my feelings were mixed up and I had no idea where I stood. What was I truly to him? In the back of my mind I was afraid this was all an elaborate game. If I gave in and started to care, just to have the rug ripped out from beneath me. That would be the cruelest trick. I didn't want to acknowledge that he would be capable of that but in the end did I even know him? I looked at the clock, ten minutes had gone by while I had been sitting here just lost in my thoughts. I had to get to class and more importantly, Kaname and I had to be more careful. Yuki had almost caught us last night.

 **Later**

I watched out of the corner of my eye as Yuki wrote down her class notes. Every now and then she would glance up at the board and the teacher and then return her attention back to her notepad. Well I figured now was the best chance I had to practice. I still felt weird. It just didn't seem like a normal thing to try and pick up someone's scent. But as much as I hated to admit it, Kuran was right. Ignoring and denying my vampire traits wasn't going to change anything. I might as well learn it and try to embrace it.

I looked over at her. I still wasn't close enough. I took my pencil and knocked it off the table. For once something worked out in my favor and it rolled perfectly coming to a rest by her boot. I took a deep breath. Well now or never, I bent down to grab the pencil and hesitated. I let my eyes drift close and tried to block out the droning of the professor's words and the underlying murmur of the restless class. I inhaled deeply trying to focus. The first items I picked up were normal, chalk dust, freshly mowed grass, the faint scent of the cherry trees beginning to blossom. Then just like last night, there it was, the tart yet comforting smell of nutmeg reminding me of cookies my mother had baked ages ago. That was weird, was everyone going to smell like some spice to me? What would the headmaster be – paprika or pepper? I bent down closer and finally caught the underlying edge. It was a fresh pure scent, like laundry just out of the dryer warm and clean. So that was what a human smelled like, it made sense. I turned my head slightly and my hair brushed against Yuki's leg, my cheek grazing her skin.

"Zero what are you doing?" Her tense whisper made me recoil back and almost fall out of my chair. She kicked me, hard. "You're being weird again and I'm really starting to worry about your mental well-being."

I quickly grabbed the pencil and sat back up. I brandished it for effect. "See pencil. Just picking up a pencil I dropped. That's all. Nothing weird."

She didn't look convinced. "I think I should tell the headmaster."

"Yuki, no!"

She turned and considered me again. "Fine. But you are still acting weird. Quit it."

She went back to taking her notes. That was close. I had to work on subtlety somehow until I got better at this smell instinct. I sighed and stared at the blank sheet before me, I wasn't even a good vampire.

 **Evening, in the headmaster's private library**

"Thank you Zero for helping me organize these new books." Kaien Cross removed another book from the box and flipped through it before placing it on the shelf.

"No problem, headmaster. I'm happy to help." I didn't mind helping him but I did have an ulterior motive. I wanted to practice more and figured this would be the perfect setup. Cross was usually so distracted (especially when it came to his library) that he wouldn't notice me getting closer than normal. At least that was what I was hoping.

He opened another box and began to sort them out on the floor. I snuck over behind him, acting like I was looking for the correct shelf. As he arranged his piles for the tenth time, I figured now was my chance with him. I leaned over, closing my eyes and breathing deeply.

Books, that was all I was getting. That couldn't be right. I was surrounded by books. I had to be missing something. Just when I thought I was finally catching on to this and it didn't seem to work. I leaned closer and tried to focus, tried to really concentrate. That's when I noticed the slight difference, we were taking out brand new volumes but that wasn't what I was smelling. I was picking up the scent of old books. Aged books that had sat on the shelves for years and held that unique scent of old ink and paper, just under that I caught the same clean and pure notes that I had with Yuki.

My eyes opened and I noticed that the headmaster was now standing and staring at me with the same expectant look on his face that he used for microwave popcorn. The look he used for when he was waiting intently for some great development to come about. "Oh, Zero I'm so proud of you!" Before I knew it, I was enveloped in a crushing bear hug from the headmaster. "You are finally embracing your vampire side. You make me a proud papa."

I tried to carefully disentangle myself from his grasp. "Uhh Thanks. I guess." Crap so he had caught me too, I wasn't very good at this, my stealth definitely needed some work.

"Tell me what I smell like to you? I love learning what each of the vampires associate me with, it's a very personal trait. It tells just as much about the person smelling as the smelly one. Or, well that didn't come out right but you know what I mean."

I had now finally managed to extract myself from his hug but felt guilty that I hadn't hugged him back enough. He was really a sweet man who cared for both Yuki and I deeply. He had taken in two orphans when he didn't need to and had tried to give us all the love that he could. I patted him on the head gently. "Well don't take this the wrong way but you smell like…old books."

"Old books!" He grabbed me again in another hug. "That's wonderful! That means you see me in a scholarly light like a teacher. Thank you Zero for sharing that with me. So, when are you going to let Kaname show you some other things?"

"What!?" I backed away. How did he know that? Had Kaname told him? How _much_ had Kaname told him?

He nodded at me, completely oblivious to my sudden discomfort. "He really is the best one for you. See I can explain things I've learned in my studies but it's much better vampire to vampire."

My hand was on the doorknob now. I glanced at the clock. "Wow, look at the time. You know I really have to go, patrols and Yuki will be looking for me." I finally managed to get the door open and slipped out, closing it behind me and collapsing against it. I took a deep breathe and then began to walk down the hallway towards the outside world. That had been close, I really needed to get a better grip on things. I had no poker face at all. Why was it that everyone seemed to know what I was thinking before I did?


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

I stared down at the worn wooden planks of the floor and absently rubbed then with my shoe. It was back again. The pain in my head that felt like hundreds of tiny needles and the ache of hunger that no normal food would satisfy. The problem was it had been only two short weeks since I had last had Kaname's blood. It should have lasted longer. I didn't want to dwell too much on what that meant. Right now, I had to focus on the problem at hand, getting what I needed even if that meant another encounter I wasn't prepared for.

After much internal debate I decided on the direct approach – go right to the source, go in and get it over and done with. Of course, nothing is ever as easy as you would like it to be. I waited until after lunch and then slipped out the back as the other students were preparing to return to their classes. I went around the sun dorm to the woods that bordered Cross Academy and blocked me from any prying eyes and then made a loop to the rear of the moon dorm.

In the back security was lighter and there was a rear entrance that was used for deliveries and the cleaning staff. At this time of day, it should be deserted and even if any of the vampires were up and moving about, I highly doubted the trust fund aristocrats would be hanging out in the servant's quarters. I opened the door to a huge and empty kitchen. It glistened in the late afternoon light, food laid out for dinner (or was it breakfast to them?). It was all so confusing. This strange life I had been thrown into, no longer truly human yet also not belonging to their world either. I was alone, stuck between the two.

I had snuck into the headmaster's office this morning and found the moon dorm plans so I was pretty sure of the route I needed to take. After the large kitchen before you went into the common area there was a narrow hallway that forked off into three directions. Left should be to a large closet that contained cleaning supplies and right to a separate servant's staircase. I rolled my eyes. Because you know, it would be unseemingly for one of them to accidently bump into a maid but right now I was thankful for all their pompous ways because it gave me a clear path to my goal.

Up four flights of stairs to the top floor, because he was a pure blood and the dorm president, Kaname had the entire fourth floor to himself. I came out in a long dark hallway lit only by a small light at the other end. The windows here were heavily draped by thick velvet curtains that blocked all the natural daylight. I stopped, hesitant now, the place was absolutely silent. What the hell was I doing, striding right into the lion's den? I took a deep breathe, I didn't have any choice. When it was either insanity and death on one hand whatever was in the other looked pretty damn good.

I went down the hallway to a large mahogany door on the right. It led to a suite of rooms where he should currently be. I went to knock on the door and stopped. I turned around and almost went back to the stairway. No, I had to, what else was I going to do? I turned back to that door that suddenly seemed a lot taller and darker than it had before. I raised my fist and as I brought it to the surface to knock, the door whisked open, a hand grabbed me and pulled me inside.

"What are you doing here?" Kaname was glaring down at me and sounded none to happy that I had suddenly appeared on his doorstep.

I got mad, really mad. "You told me 'come and find you,' and the one time I decide to listen, I get this welcome." I had been so careful, so quiet to sneak up here and this was the kind of treatment I got? "Fine. I'm leaving. This was a stupid idea anyway." I turned to go but he put his arm out blocking my path and holding the door closed.

"No, no, no – I just didn't mean find me here. But no, you are here now, you're not leaving."

I grabbed the door handle and tried to pull it open. "What do you mean I can't leave? Look, I'm leaving right now. I got here, I can go just as easily." I got the door open a few inches and he slammed it shut again. We did this a few times until we were in a stalemate of him pushing and me pulling and the door not budging.

"Would you quit. You are so damn stubborn." He grabbed my shoulder and spun me around while at the same time using one foot to trip me and make me fall back. I fell back on the door and he pinned me against it. "Listen."

I had no intention of doing that right now and instead tried to stomp his foot and knee him in the groin but he was quicker than I was and instead grabbed my wrist and with a twist and a spin had me again pinned to the door but this time my face was pressed against the smooth wood and my arm was twisted behind my back. I tried to push back but he just twisted harder, pulling my wrist up more between my shoulder blades and sending a jolt of pain through my body.

"Are you done now? I can keep pushing and break it. It will heal but it will hurt like a bitch." He twisted my arm still further. "Or do you like the pain? Do you want me to hurt you?"

He pulled it higher and I let out an involuntary gasp of pain. This wasn't how I had pictured the day going. "Okay, okay, I'll stop. Let me go." He released me and I grabbed my arm that he had almost wrenched out of its socket, massaging it gently.

"Now as I was trying to tell you. You can't leave now. You managed to get up here through pure dumb luck but I wouldn't want to bet on it twice. It's a good thing the others are all heavy sleepers and I'm not." He looked from me to an ornate clock on the mantle and back again. "Well you are just going to have to stay here for a while, that's the safest thing. Then when they get up, I'll get them out the door quick and make some excuse for staying back myself."

I looked at the clock and gasped. "When they get up! That's four hours from now!"

"Yes, it is, you are going to be stuck spending the rest of the day with me."

I shook my head. "No, no seriously, I can come back later."

He looked at me with sad eyes. "Is spending time with me really that abhorrent to you?"

I looked down. "No, that's not what I meant." I looked towards the door, to salvation, to an exit out of this mess I had gotten myself into, again. "I just…"

He took my hand and gently pulled me further into the room. "Come on then, might as well get comfortable." He looked back at I'm sure the pure panic on my face and smiled. "I would tell you that old cliché, that there is nothing to fear, I don't bite but then that would be a lie." My mouth dropped open, had we gone from him almost breaking my arm to now causally flirting?

Completely speechless now, I let him lead me to a small table in the corner. Upon it was the most beautiful and ornate chess set I think I have ever seen and despite everything I leaned down to take a closer look. I gingerly picked up one piece, turning it over in my hand. The white pieces looked like they were carved from ancient ivory, the black from some ebony gemstone that glittered in the low light. The detail was incredible. I carefully set the piece back on the board. "It's beautiful."

"It's an old family heirloom that has been passed down through the generations." He turned his head looking deeply into my eyes. "Do you play?"

I nodded. "Yes."

He smiled gesturing towards one of the chairs. "Good. Play with me."

Okay chess, that was fairly harmless, I could do this. "All right." I sat down and we started to play. As we moved the pieces across the board in their dance of life and death, he began to question me.

"So, tell me some things I don't know about yourself, for instance, what's your favorite color?"

I looked up at him with puzzled eyes, "Why would you want to know?"

He waved a hand at me, "Just humor me."

Well there couldn't be any harm in just answering some questions. "Okay, it's purple." And we began a getting to know you type of conversation, just seemingly inconsequential data but I gradually relaxed until it seemed to be the most natural thing in the world.

He turned to me with a little more seriousness in his voice. "How has Yuki been? She looks very tired lately and run down."

My hand hesitated over my next move. "It's complicated. She's not bad but she's not good either. Her past is bothering her. She seems to think there is some important secret locked away in the years she can't remember. Every time she tries she ends up with horrible headaches. Then later she gets nightmares and a few times now, she said she was hallucinating."

He bit his lip. "What is she hallucinating?"

I looked down at the board. "Blood. She see's everything covered in blood."

He shook his head and made another move. "That's not good."

I reached out and stopped his hand. His eyes locked on mine. "If you know something, tell her. You have to know something else, you were there when it all happened."

He pulled away from my touch and looked at the floor. "There are certain things I can't share with anyone yet." He looked back at me. "It's for her own good. You have to trust me."

"That's doesn't make any sense. If you know something, just tell her."

He shook his head again. "No, I can't. Not yet. You should know I've always protected Yuki and want nothing but the best for her. Trust me on this. Please."

I sat silently, staring down at the board. Yes, just trust the devil. I looked up at his worried face. Was he really the devil though? Maybe not. But trusting someone like him, after all these years, after all the hatred and confusion and pain. I wasn't sure if I could trust anyone again. The silence lengthened as I was caught up in the tangled web of my past.

He reached out and took my hand and I let him. He looked deeply into my eyes. "You know we aren't that different, the two of us."

I laughed with no real humor glancing around at the ornate room we were sitting in. "You could have fooled me."

"I'll tell you something that I haven't shared with anyone else. Hopefully if I show you that I trust you with this secret, you might start believing me and having a little faith in my intentions. For most of my life, I've been living with a lie because you see my parents were also killed by a vampire."

"What!?" I tried to pull away but he held my hand tighter.

"Yes, just like you. Happy family one moment and bloody orphan the next, the world thinks they committed suicide but I know the truth."

"But why? Why would you lie?"

"Because it was my uncle who killed them. He would have killed me too but I got away. He was gravely wounded by my parents and I also managed to hurt him but not enough for him to die. He will try again some day to finish what he started."

He held on to my hand with a death clamp, not trying to hurt me but more like a drowning man looking for salvation. His eyes were shiny with unshed tears. "I'm sorry, I, I didn't know."

"You see now? Not that different. Something like that forces you to grow up. I think we both lost our childhood too early. You are the only one that I have ever told, that should be worth something." He stood up and turned towards the clock. "Time for them to start waking up." He turned back to me and the board. "You're a good player."

I ran a hand through my hair. "No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are, you won three out of four games."

I shook my head. "No, you let me win."

He smiled at me. "No, I didn't. I'll be back, stay here and stay quiet." With that he turned and was gone, the door closing silently behind him.

With his departure the nervousness came crashing back and along with it all the questions. I had had him alone for four hours and had never brought up anything meaningful. It was just hard to put into words what was stuck in my head. Every time I had tried to voice it, it came out wrong and he avoided answering it with some cute quip. Why did I always feel that no matter what I did, I was right where he wanted me.

I got up and started to slowly pace the floor but it only seemed to make it worse. What would he do when he got back? What did I want him to do? I sat on the couch, taking my jacket off, the room was suddenly too warm. I had to stop lying to myself too, stop trying to run away from the truth. I didn't mind being here. No, that wasn't right either. I liked it, more than I ever could have imagined. When he touched me, when he kissed me, it felt right and I wanted more. I might put up a fight but if I was honest with myself, it was a halfhearted fight that I wanted to lose.

I laid my arms across the back of the couch and buried my head in my hands, the old Victorian horsehair fabric was rough yet comforting. I wanted to throw up but I think I had finally made up my mind. I would follow his lead and take this strange relationship to wherever we were headed. I just hoped to hell I could trust him and this wasn't just an elaborate game, some type of sport to pass the time and laugh about later with your aristocratic vampire friends.

It took forty-five minutes for him to get back. What felt like the longest forty-five minutes of my life. Finally, the sounds below softened and then stopped and the door finally opened. Despite my nerves and my vow to myself, my mouth seemed quicker than my mind and I ended up giving him a shitty look and yelling at him. "About time! How long does it take to get rid of them?" I bit my tongue, not how I had wanted to start this out.

Instead of getting mad though he seemed more amused. "Afraid I wasn't coming back?"

He locked the door and slowly advanced on me and all my brave ideals quickly fled. I was back to feeling like the uneducated virgin on her wedding night, not sure what to say or do and feeling all around incredibly stupid. There had been that whole important talk I had wanted to have, the whole tell me how you truly feel, what am I to you, etcetera. Now my mind was a complete blank and I was trembling.

He sat down next to me on the couch, folding one leg under his body, his knee pressing against my thigh. "Stop it."

That took me by surprise. "Stop what?"

He grabbed my arm and pulled me forward into his arms, his lips purring in my ear. "Stop worrying."

"But wait, I wanted to…"

He slid backward slightly, our foreheads touching, his eyes locked with mine. "I waited for four hours, you're mine now."

With that he kissed me so hard, so passionately, it literally took my breathe away. My eyes drifted closed and I was just lost in the sensation. I had never been kissed like this before, so much desire and possession all poured into one act. His tongue pushing past my lips, probing, sliding softly along mine drinking me in. My hands tangled in his hair pulling him closer, an irresistible need pooling deep within me.

He pushed me back into the couch, his body covering mine. His skilled hands sliding over my skin, massaging, nails trailing along, softly at first and then with more pressure, digging red furrows into my flesh and making me moan into his mouth, arching my back. Somehow along the way he had managed to undo my shirt and while one hand gripped the back of my neck, his other trailed over my chest, down my stomach and still lower. I was so turned on, so hard it was painful and that one touch almost sent me over the cliff. I whimpered pushing myself into his hand, wanting more, needing more. He broke our kiss, his lips leaving a trail of fire down my throat to the base of my neck.

His tongue trailed lightly over my skin and I turned my head to give him better access. "Bite me already, quit torturing me."

I could feel his fangs pressing into the tender skin I had exposed. "I shouldn't but I can't help myself. You are so sweet, I can taste your desire in your blood."

He bit down hard and I let out an involuntary yelp of pain but the sharp stab of agony quickly fled as the pleasure washed over me, dragging me down. Being bitten by a vampire is quite literally a drug, there is a special enzyme in their saliva that when mixed with blood goes straight to the pleasure centers of your brain. It makes their prey stop struggling, makes their prey enjoy it and want more. Knowing all of this didn't make it any less potent for me. I was quickly becoming an addict, wanting nothing more than Kaname's lips upon my skin, his hands on my body and his teeth buried in my neck.

If being bitten is like paradise, doing it yourself it like entering the gates of heaven. It's having that power over someone of life and death, feeling them squirm beneath you and then slowly give in, drinking in their life force and having it course through your entire body. And Kaname is right you can taste emotions. When I had bitten Yuki all I could taste was her fear and it had made me feel like a loathsome monster. But when I drink Kaname's blood, it's a desire and passion that matches my own.

At moments like this I'm afraid of what I've become, at what I've done and might do but he presses his neck to my mouth and I don't care anymore. I'm actually glad that fate put me here. Otherwise, I never would have met him, never would have ended up here our bodies twined together as I lick the salt from his skin and bite down. His blood flooding my mouth, his lips upon my throat, his hand grasping my hardness rubbing rhythmically; I'm addicted to more than just his blood. I soar higher than I think is possible, the pleasure and the pain all meddling into one until I'm exploding, shuddering beneath my lover's hands and gasping for breath like a drowning man.

He collapses on top of me, both of us panting covered in blood and sweat. I notice that his damp hair is curling slightly and I think that I've never seen anything so beautiful and perfect, anything so desirable and I'm slightly afraid at how fast I've fallen. I realize that this couch, this encounter was a turning point, there is no going back anymore.

We lay like that for a long time. Neither one wanting to move or break the silence, just enjoying the feel of being held, of being wanted. Eventually he sits up, pulling me with him. He kisses me again but it's a soft sweet kiss. He rubs up against me, whispering in my ear. "You are a little hellcat. I would have scars on my back if I were human."

I pull back. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

He pulls me back purring, "Oh no, don't change. Don't ever change. I love it." He kisses me again, deeper this time and just as I start to melt he pulls away. "Oh, as much as I want to but you need to go. The rest of the dorm will be back before long and I need to clean up and look semi-presentable."

I look at the clock and realize just how much time has gone by. He walks me to the door and then stops giving me a quick kiss on the nose. "Go before I change my mind." He gently pushes me out and just before the door closes he says, "I'll see you again soon."

I walked down the hallway in a semi-daze, quickly trying to straighten my clothing and brush my hair back into place. Somehow, I made it back to my room without running into anyone. I took a long hot shower. As the water ran over me, I again felt his caress and shivered hearing those last words, "I'll see you again soon." As I lay down for bed, I wondered how and when. Would our unconventional romance always be a series of stolen moments? How could two people so different ever have anything more?


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

A week later my teacher surprised me by handing me a note just before class let out for the day. I took it confused and read – _Please come to my office after the class switch-over. Headmaster Cross_

Why was he summoning me to his office? Had I done something wrong? He had seemed perfectly normal this morning. I turned to ask Yuki but she had already gone. The switch over went smoothly, well as smoothly as herding fifty screaming girls can go but again Yuki wasn't there and as the night class passed I didn't see Kaname either.

I walked down the now deserted hallway until I came to the headmaster's door which was closed. He usually left it open. I rapped gently, "Headmaster, you wanted to see me?"

"Come in Zero."

I opened the door and my stomach dropped. Well I had found Yuki and Kaname. Cross sat behind his desk which was piled with ancient looking volumes. Three seats were arranged in front of it. Yuki sat to my left, Kaname to my right with one empty chair in between. "What's going on?"

Headmaster Cross gestured to the seat. "Come in Zero, close the door and sit down, it's all right."

I had a sinking feeling that things were definitely NOT all right but I listened and nervously sat, perched on the edge of the chair. I glanced between Yuki and Kaname but their expressions were unreadable. I tried to smile. "And we are here for?"

"It's all right, Kaname has told us everything."

Okay this was a dream, a very bad dream. "What!?" I looked at Kaname helplessly. "You told them everything?"

Now Kaname looked like he was also in my nightmare, he held up his hands. "The blood, I told them I gave you my blood."

I looked to Yuki who had her head to the side eyes going from one of us to the other. I turned back to the headmaster who looked like this was the most natural thing in the world. "It's okay Zero. No need to be embarrassed, it's quite a common practice among vampires to share their blood with each other, of course it's usually family, very close friends or lovers."

I looked down at the floor knowing I was beat red, feeling three pairs of eyes on me. "Okay so can we start again, why are we all here?"

The headmaster took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. "Of course, sorry, I tend to ramble. Kaname has kept me informed of his plan to try and slow down your progression to a level E but we were both disturbed at the time frames between the blood lust. It's not lasting as long as it should so he gave me a little research project to see if I could find any other solutions."

It was just like I feared, I was running out of time. "And?" I prompted.

"Oh yes, yes, sorry." He shuffled more papers on his desk. "I found something but I'm afraid none of you will like it. It's well, it's vincula sanguinis."

Kaname nodded. "I was afraid of that."

I looked over at Yuki who still looked confused. I gestured between the two of us. "Ummm mind explaining to the two non-vampire scholars here?"

Cross grabbed one of his volumes and opened it to a marked page. "Yes, sorry, sorry, I'll explain everything. Kaname is familiar with it because well, it has to do with his family history. Okay story time – around three hundred years ago or so, Kaname's great grandfather Sir Reginald Atlas Constance Kuran the third was a very talented magician and alchemist. One that shall we say dabbled in the darker arts and was ummm eccentric to say the least. In one of his more perverse moments he even created many of the spells and weapons that vampire hunters still use to this day." Kaien pointed towards Yuki. "Yuki your Artemis Rod is one of his creations but sorry I'm rambling again. He created the very powerful and very forbidden spell of vincula sanguinis – Latin for the chains of blood. It's essentially a binding spell creating umm for lack of a better term a master and slave relationship."

All right, it was a bad dream. "What? Okay earlier you said something about another solution and this isn't sounding like a solution to me."

The headmaster was biting his lip. "Umm yeah, just let me finish, this will all make sense when I'm done. Okay well Reginald had some strange fancies shall we say? He began by seducing the prettier girls and boys too, he was a very progressive thinker, of the lower vampire classes. He then would essentially drug them and then well he kind of created a harem."

I glared at Kaname. "A harem? Really?"

Cross held up one of the books. "Oh yes, he had costumes and everything. There are a few wood cuts here in this volume. Some of them quite explicit if I may say so."

Kaname pushed the book back down shaking his head. "We don't need to see the woodcuts headmaster." He glanced at me shrugging his shoulders, at least to his credit also looking uncomfortable. "Grandpa Reggie was eccentric?"

I nodded. "Yeah, to say the least." I turned back to the headmaster. "Okay I'm still not following, what has all this to do with me?"

"Well one of the unintended consequences of the spell is that it overwrites all other blood bonds. It would stop your progression, you would never fall to a level E."

"But what then? I'm some kind of a slave, forever?"

Cross shook his head. "Not exactly. See the spell only works between a pure blood vampire and a vampire of a lower class, the effects as far as I can tell from the partial histories I have been able to recover, are as follows: you being the," here Cross used air quotes, "slave would be unable to harm the master, you would only be able to feed from the master, any other blood would make you violently ill and you would have to stay in close proximity to the master or again illness and pain would follow. But it's not like mind control or anything, it wouldn't change the way you think or feel. And from what I read here, it seems the proximity portion gets better with time. You would be able to be further away from the master as time goes on with no ill effects but you could never be apart permanently."

"But I'm still not seeing the positive side here." This was quickly shaping up to be the worst conversation I had ever had.

Kaien nodded. "It's not ideal, no but…" He let the word hang.

I cut in. "Okay but if it's not mind control, how did Reginald get his harem to obey him?"

Cross grimaced, "Well he would essentially lock them up and starve them for his blood, and leave the manor thus causing them great pain until he broke them and they would follow his every whim."

I felt sick. "What if they didn't break?"

He looked toward the ceiling. "Umm he killed them."

I turned back toward Kaname exasperated, "This is your grandfather?!"

He held up a finger. "Great grandfather, never actually met the man and he is the black sheep of the family, we don't talk about grandpa Reggie during family reunions."

"That makes all this okay?"

He rolled his eyes. "Really? You don't get to pick your relatives."

"Okay you do have a point there." I turned back to Cross and sighed. "Okay so what happened to good ole Reggie?"

"Well of course his actions were considered highly suspect but he was a member of the royal family and in line for the throne so most of society turned a blind eye to his extra circular activities until he targeted the daughter of a high-level aristocrat. He kidnapped her and bound her and, in the process, almost started a war. At that time the rest of the Kuran family decided he was too much of a liability and well they killed him."

I felt like I might vomit. "This story isn't getting any better."

Cross cleared his throat, not looking at any of us. "Not done yet, well that was when they discovered the other unintentional side effect of the spell, everyone he had bound died shortly after his demise."

I put my head in my hands, I was going to be sick. "Oh my God, so literally till death do us part?"

"Umm essentially yes. I can't say I recommend this solution for either of you but it's all we have."

I looked from one of them to the other. "And if I say no then what? What happens?"

The headmaster closed his book and set it aside. "Well I'm sure Kaname will continue to give you his blood but even then, you have, by my calculations, maybe two months."

"So, slavery or death?"

Yuki moved for the first time and came between Kaname and I, kneeling down between us and placing a hand on each of our knees. "Zero, Kaname, please – I know it sounds horrible but Kaname isn't a horrible person. He wouldn't do to you what his ancestor did to those people." Tears rolled down her cheeks and I felt like a complete ass for making her cry. "I'm sure it wouldn't be that bad and then you would be okay. You could live Zero, you could have a life. I know I'm selfish because I don't want you to die but please, both of you, please do it for me."

The headmaster stood and pulled Yuki away from us and hugged her. "Yuki it's not your choice. You have no right to ask them to do this, they have to take time both by themselves and together and decide what to do."

Kaname looked to me. "I'll do it." He put a hand out on my arm. "But don't answer now. Do what the headmaster said, think about it." He looked over to the headmaster still cradling Yuki in his arms. "You can do the spell if we decide to go through with it?"

Cross nodded. "Yes, I believe so. Your family still has all of Reginald's journals and papers?"

"Yes, under lock and key but I'll send for them, you'll have them tomorrow. The family was too scared to destroy anything of his."

Kaname stood and pulled me to my feet. "We should go now. You need to think." He gently pushed me to the door. I felt numb, it was all, it was just so much. He closed the door and we stood looking at each other in the abandoned hallway. He leaned over and kissed my forehead. "I'll find you in a few days and we can talk okay?" I bit my lip and nodded and he turned and was gone.

Three days later I sat in a little used corner of the academy by a small pond. I was absently watching the dragonflies skim over the water when I smelled the unmistakable scent of cinnamon and knew he had finally come to find me. "Hello Kaname." I said without turning.

"Hello Zero, getting better I see." He knelt down beside me. "Can we go over there under the trees? This sunlight is killing my head."

I smiled and replied with mock surprise. "Oh, something a pure blood can't handle? Shocking!"

He rolled his eyes and pulled me to my feet. "I can handle it, I just don't like it." He gently pulled me towards a grove of old elms that stood beside the pond. It was cooler and darker in their shade. He settled down at the base of the trees and patted the ground beside him. "Sit, talk to me."

I sighed and sat next to him. I still felt numb and hollow and far to confused.

He turned to me. "So, did you decide?"

"It's not much of a decision. Tied to you forever or, or death."

"You always have a choice. Would being tied to me forever really be that bad?"

I couldn't look him in the eye and instead studied the perfect blades of grass that surrounded us. "Ummm no but, but, uggh." I buried my head in my hands. "This is a whole lot really fast and forever is a pretty long time."

He grabbed my chin, turning my face back to his. "I wouldn't do what Reginald did to the others. You can trust me. I would treat you good."

I threw my hands up in the air. "Why? Why would you do any of this? And why me of all people?"

"Because I want to."

I shook him off. "No, that's not an answer. You could have anybody you wanted. Anybody in that entire dorm, male or female at your feet, in your bed. Hell, you could have all of them. Why would you choose to be stuck with me?"

His turn to sigh and look down. "Because, because I don't want any of them. They don't, they don't see me. They see an image, an idol, a pure blood prince. If I wasn't that I would be nothing to them. I've never been able to truly gage people's reactions, if they really like me or they just like the celebrity image they have stuck in their mind. You on the other hand, you could care less about all of that, hell the first time you met me, you stabbed me."

I grimaced looking up. "Yeah that was a long time ago. But then you always hated me, until, until that night…"

"Yeah I was pretty sure the feeling was mutual myself but…"

I stared at him. "What happened? Why'd you do it?"

His eyes met mine. "That first time, oh I had a grand plan in my head. I was trying to be cruel. I was telling myself, oh this will really get you. I wanted to put you in your place, knock you down a peg or two. I think it really pissed me off that you didn't give a damn who I was and you wouldn't bow down like the others. But then well, it kind of backfired on me. What I told you, that you would sit up late at night and think about it and well, no. It was me sitting up late at night thinking about it. I expected you to fight and you did but then you didn't, you just let go and God was it good. You surprised me and I, well I surprised myself." He sat back and clasped his hands together taking a deep breath. "See there's a fine line between love and hate. You can see something for years and secretly, subconsciously, you want it. Your jealous of it but you think you can never have it so instead you tell yourself you hate it." He looked back up into my eyes. "But you don't."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying Zero, I don't hate you. I've never hated you. And if I'm reading your actions correctly, you feel the same way."

My breathe caught and my chest felt tight. "Really?"

He grabbed the back of my head and pulled me closer. "Really." Then his lips covered mine and he poured all the emotion into that one kiss that he couldn't put into words, leaving me breathless and weak in the knees. When he pulled away I whimpered wanting more, wanting so much more. "You'll do it?"

I nodded still feeling that sick uncertainty. "I'll do it but I'm scared. What happens when you get tired of me?"

He shook his head. "I won't."

"How can you say that? How do you know?"

He sighed. "Because once I make up my mind, I never change it."

"But what if you end up finding me incredibly annoying?"

"Like now?"

"Umm yeah, sure like now."

He smiled. "I can always kill you."

I shook my head. "That is so not funny."

"Too soon?"

I nodded. "Yeah, too soon."

He kissed the tip of my nose. "Sorry." He pushed me back against the tree, leaning against me purring in my ear. "I can make it up to you."

I wanted nothing more than to let go again. Let go of the fear and the doubt and just lose myself in his embrace but some part of my logical mind was still partially functioning and I gently pushed him back. "Not here."

He leaned in again and ran the tip of his tongue over my ear. "Are you sure?"

I pushed back. "No! Be good."

He leaned all the way back smiling wickedly. "All right, I can wait." He stood and then pulled me to my feet. "Come on, let's tell the headmaster." Halfway back, he stopped and reached out for my hand, taking it in both of his. "I won't lie to you. It won't be easy." He nodded toward the moon dorm. "They are going to despise you. They are going to be mean and cruel." He squeezed my hand. "But I'll be there with you. I'll be right beside you and I won't let them hurt you. I'll protect you. Eventually it will get better, they will get used to it and they will accept you. You might even make some friends."

I knew it wouldn't be easy. None of this was going to be easy but I had to do it. It would be okay, we would be okay. I nodded. "We will be okay."

He smiled. "Yes, we will."

The headmaster looked like he was expecting us. He closed the door and asked us both to sit down. He turned to me with a sad smile on his face. "You're going to do it?"

I took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes."

He looked from Kaname to me and then nodded to himself. "You're both adults and know what you are doing." He truly smiled now and I swear he winked at me. "AND you both seem to be getting along a lot better so I'll honor your decision."

I felt my face turning red and tried to will my body to stop it. Stop blushing, don't do it even if dear old adopted dad is starting to catch on and drop loaded hints.

He nodded to himself again. "Meet me back here in two days, I should have the potion prepared by then."

We exited the office and looked at each other. "Two days?"

He nodded at me. "Two days. I'll see you then."

I watched him disappear down the hall before turning and going back to my room. Two days. I had two days before my whole world changed. I just hoped that I was ready and that I had made the right decision.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Time became my enemy, an enemy with a perverse sense of humor. I seemed to swing between the two extremes. When I was surrounded by people everything moved far to fast, spinning out of control. Then when I was alone the seconds dragged by stretching into eons. Through it all I moved in a daze, trapped in my head, trapped with my doubts, just praying for the appointed time to arrive so it would be over.

At least that is what I thought, I stood on the edge of a cliff and knew I had to jump. If I only jumped then that would be it. Choice made and no more worrying over it, no more torturous thoughts in the late hours of night that never seemed to end. I didn't even stop to think about the aftermath. All those little details, the explanations, the changes never even crossed my mind.

Then all to quickly it was time. I beat both of them there and found the headmaster's office locked. I leaned against the door closing my eyes. I could do this. I felt sick to my stomach even though I had hardly eaten anything in the last few days. I was so distracted I didn't hear them approach until they were right in front of me.

"Zero, are you okay?" The headmaster gave me a worried look.

Did I look that bad? "I'm fine. I just want to get this over with."

Kaname stood behind Cross, his face unreadable, dark eyes studying me. "Are you ready?"

I sighed. "Yes, let's do this."

Kaien unlocked the door and turned the lights on. The smell hit us as we made our way inside. His office now resembled something between a witch's lair and a mad scientist's laboratory. He closed and locked the door behind us. "Well there it is." He gestured to a metal bowl with symbols carved into it that sat in the center of the melee. The foul stench was definitely coming from it. "I only need two more things and it's complete." He pushed us both closer to the desk. "I need blood from both of you."

Kaname pushed his sleeve up and I did the same. The headmaster took my wrist holding my arm over the bowl and using a wicked looking dagger sliced into the tender flesh under my arm. I grimaced at the sharp pain, watching the red liquid run down into the green ooze where it was slowly absorbed. He released me and proceeded to do the same thing to Kaname.

He used the same blade and stirred the concoction. "Well it's done now." He took the bowl and poured a good amount into a nearby glass. He held the glass out to me. "Drink up."

I used both hands to take the glass but even then, I was shaking so hard some of it sloped over and ran down my hand. Where it made contact with my skin, it burned. I had to drink this? All of this? It smelled like something dead and didn't look much better. It vaguely reminded me of when Yuki had gone on a smoothie kick and then had tried to get me to drink a green sludge of fruits and vegetables. It had tasted like ass but in the end, I had done it just to make her happy. Okay just another of Yuki's bad smoothies, I can do this. I took a swallow and almost threw it back up but gritted my teeth and made myself drink. It tasted like spoiled milk and rotten meat and it was hot. As I drank I could feel it all the way down into my stomach, a trail of burning fire. Finally, it was gone and I slammed the glass down onto the desk, holding my hand against my mouth.

The strange warmth was moving out from my stomach, little sneaking tendrils making my skin crawl and then feel flushed with heat. I wasn't sure what I had been expecting but not this, either it was working or the headmaster had inadvertently poisoned me. The world tilted and spun and I staggered backwards as a wave of dizziness hit me. Kaname grabbed me before I could hit the floor and I was thankful for the support of his arms. Both of their worried faces looked down at me and their lips were moving but I didn't hear anything. My vision blurred and I felt like I was in a tunnel with the world rushing away from me, leaving me in a profound deep darkness.

I opened my eyes and stretched. I was in bed staring at the ceiling with one of the worst headaches I think I had ever had. Something felt off but it took me a moment to realize what it was, the ceiling was painted the delicate blue of a robin's egg. This wasn't my room. This wasn't my bed. I sat up and immediately the pain knifed through my head again. Faint movement to my left told me I wasn't alone. "Where am I?"

A hand rubbed up the bare skin of my back and Kaname's voice replied back, "It's okay. You're in my room."

Bare skin, I didn't have a shirt on. Crap, I didn't have pants on either. "Where the hell are my clothes?"

"In the corner."

I looked over at Kaname stretched out beside me. He wasn't wearing much either, only pajama bottoms. What the hell had I done now? Why couldn't I remember? I rubbed my head. How had I gotten here?

Kaname put the book down that he had been reading and slid closer. "How do you feel?"

I looked at him with confusion. "My head is killing me but other than that okay I guess? Why, what happened? How did I?" My voice trailed off. "I don't remember."

He brushed the hair out of my eyes, studying me. "We went to the headmaster's office and you took the potion. After that you passed out and neither one of us could wake you up. Headmaster Cross has been frantic with worry for you. He was afraid he messed something up and poisoned you."

It all came rushing back, oh my God I had really done it. But I didn't feel any different, maybe that was the point though, maybe I was normal now, fixed? "How did I get here?"

"I carried you."

I had to smile at that image. "Up four flights of stairs?" Then it dawned on me and I looked down at the floor in panic. "The others, do they know I'm here?"

"Well yes, it's a little hard to hide your presence. Vampire instincts and all, remember?"

I bit my lip. "Okay but do they know I'm here, here?" His head tilted to the side. "In bed okay? Do they know right now I'm in bed with you with barely any clothes on?" Which brought me back to an earlier panic point I had. "You took me clothes off? While I was unconscious?" 

"No and yes."

"What?!"

Kaname held up his hands. "No, they don't know that I've been sleeping with you for the last three days. Yes, I took your clothes off. I mean you couldn't so…" His voice trailed off.

I wasn't sure if that was sweet and thoughtful or creepy but then, "Wait three days?"

"Yes, you've been out of it for three days."

"Oh my God!" Three days. No wonder headmaster Cross was worried. "You stayed with me the whole time?"

Kaname nodded. "I had to, if I tried to leave you would start whimpering and thrashing around like you were having a bad dream. When I came back you quieted down. It must be the proximity effect."

"So, you stayed here?" He did care, otherwise he would have just left. "What did you do?"

He gestured towards the nightstand that was piled with books. "Caught up on my reading."

Proximity, exactly how far did it go? The chains of blood, invisible chains that bound me to this man forever now, I rolled my eyes. What the hell had I done? It was a whole lot more than just one cliff, now that I was at the bottom of that chasm I was beginning to understand just how much more there could be. My mind returned to the thirty other vampires beneath our feet. I pointed down. "What exactly did you tell the others?" Those little details I should have asked about a long time ago.

"Well…" He clasped his hands together. "They knew you fully turned so they also knew you would eventually have to come over here. I told them I had retained your services as a bodyguard slash valet. It makes sense, I keep you close so I can keep an eye on you."

"A servant! You told them I'm a servant. That's just awesome, great, perfect. My life just keeps getting better." I bit my thumbnail not looking at him.

He pulled my hand away from my mouth. "That's what I told them, that's not how I think of you." He smiled at me. "Want me to tell them the truth?"

I pulled my hand away from him. "What?! No. No, it's just, just…" I didn't have the words, from the frying pan into the fire. Honestly, he had to come up with something. It wasn't that bad, I guess.

"They will figure it out eventually anyway. Oh, they won't say anything outright but they will gossip."

"That doesn't bother you?"

He shook his head. "No. I don't care what they think and I'm a pure blood so I'm allowed to be eccentric. Come here." He pulled me into his arms and hugged me, burying his face in my hair, his lips by my ear. "I'm glad you woke up. Cross wasn't the only one who was worried."

I relaxed in his embrace. It would be okay. Everything would be okay, I wasn't alone. I could do this, I could make it work. I had to make it work.

He brushed the hair back from his face and turned his head offering me his neck. "Here drink, it will make you feel better." I hesitated suddenly unsure of myself and he nuzzled closer so my lips touched his skin. "Go ahead, I won't paw you until I'm sure you're feeling better."

I closed my eyes and licked the soft skin that tasted so sweet. But what if I want you to, even if I am feeling weak. I bit down, something that had been so horrible to me a few months ago, now the most natural thing in the world. It tasted even better than before and I wondered if that was because of the spell and then my mind finally stopped worrying. I was just in the present, in the moment, being held by powerful arms and drinking deeply. It was hard to pull myself away but I didn't want to take that much, only what I needed. I pulled away slightly and watched the blood drip down slowly from the puncture wounds. I licked it up before it could trail down his skin too far.

He gently pushed me away. "If you keep that up, you're going to make me break my promise." He got off the bed and pulled me to my feet, flicking a switch on the wall and turning on an ornate overhead chandelier.

It was the first time I had noticed just how large the room was and how lavish. The walls were painted a deep burgundy with decorative white wood trim. Real oil paintings hung on the wall and a deep pile carpet covered the floor. The bed was a huge king size four poster done in a heavy dark wood with silk sheets and plush blankets. The room even had a fireplace between two floor to ceiling windows that were draped in heavy dark velvet. I was so out of my element it wasn't funny. I felt like I had stepped into a museum but this was just normal for him. I rubbed my neck starting to doubt myself again.

His voice called to me from the corner and I turned to see that part of the wall opened into a walk-in closet. Well of course, I should have expected that. He gestured to the one wall. "I had the headmaster move your things over. You take that half of the closet and this one is mine."

I ran my hand over the familiar clothes and started to feel a little better until I saw the white uniforms. "Really? I hate white."

"Well like it or not, you are now officially in the night class. It kind of comes with the territory."

"No. I can still wear the black one, right? Please? You know I am supposed to be your servant and all, don't want to offend all the aristocrats."

He looked over his shoulder at me. "Really? Why are you so stubborn?"

I smiled. I couldn't believe I was going to win our first "fight". I clasped my hands together in a praying motion. "Please, just let me have this one thing?"

He rolled his eyes. "Fine, wear what you want, just don't blame me when you get all the shitty looks."

I took the old black uniform down and sighed. I wasn't losing myself completely, I was still me. Dressed in my own clothes, my headache now gone and with Bloody Rose strapped to my side I felt normal again. I followed him out the door and down the hallway to the grand front stairwell. It was absolutely silent and we didn't see anyone on the floors below us. Before we turned the last corner, he stopped and looked back at me with a sad smile. "They will be down there waiting for us in the common room. Are you ready for your first official night class?"

I shook my head, sighing. "Not really but," I gestured down the stairway, "let's go."

I took a step but he didn't move. "Remember, I'm standing here next to you okay?"

I nodded. "Okay."

We turned the last corner and the walls fell away as the stairway widened and spilled into the common area. I followed a short distance behind Kaname and slightly to his right. As I looked up, thirty pairs of angry eyes glared at me and I really wanted to turn around and never come down. I knew it wasn't going to be easy. I tried to tell myself this was all new for them too but it wasn't helping.

No one moved until we stood on the tile floor and Kaname was a few feet in front of me, then they went into action like an orchestrated play. Ruka from the left and Hanabusa from the right smoothly slid between us. Ruka's eyes flashed an ugly red and her hands hooked into claws. "You disgust me, you sorry excuse for a vampire. A lowly ex-human like you shouldn't even be able to be in the same room as Lord Kaname. I shall do him the favor of disposing of you."

Hanabusa hovered at her shoulder. "Yes Ruka, we shall kill him then I will gladly take his place and do whatever my Lord wants."

It was more instinct than actual thought. I had Bloody Rose out and pointed at Ruka's chest in seconds. I have to give her credit, at this distance a bullet from my gun was sure to kill her but she showed no fear. She didn't even flinch. Instead she took a step forward pressing her body against the muzzle. In a cold voice she only said, "Try me."

I cocked the gun, sliding the bullet into the chamber. "Your move sweetie."

Seconds before hell broke loose, Kaname was between us. He grabbed my gun with one hand pressing it down to the floor. He did an incredible backhand that sent Aido sliding into the newel post and cracking it in half. He gave Ruka a withering glare and she fell back a step falling to her knees. He turned back to me. "Put away your gun Zero, you can't shoot them all. Although sometimes I think that would make life easier." He looked down. "Ruka get on your feet and stop sniveling like a spoiled child. I expect you to act like a lady of your station and not some common hoodlum on the street. Aido, you too, get up and get over here." A bloody Aido limped over and joined Ruka. "You two apologize and don't ever try anything like that again or you will feel the full force of my wrath."

"I'm sorry Lord Kaname." Both of them were stumbling over their words like children and I think Ruka was now crying although she tried to hide her tears with her long blonde hair.

"Not to me. Apologize to Zero and you better mean it."

They looked at each other and then back to me. Ruka's blue eyes met mine and the fear in them surprised me. They were both terrified of Kaname. I glanced around the room and saw that everyone had drawn back, silently watching. They were all scared. They loved him but they also feared him. I began to see the truth in his earlier words. Why he could never feel truly at ease in their presence, to them he was a fickle God. It was a part he felt he had to play. He could never let his guard down. No wonder he had turned to a misfit like me.

Ruka cleared her throat. "Zero, please accept my apology, it won't happen again." She looked back down at the ground. "I'm sorry."

Aido stepped beside her but he couldn't look me in the eye. "Kiryu, I'm sorry. Please forgive our foolishness."

Kaname pushed them aside. "You two go get cleaned up and then come directly to class." He grabbed my arm and pulled me forward past them. The rest of them parted like the Red Sea making a clear path for us. He glanced behind us. "Let's go, before we are late." Immediately they fell in following us out the door.

The rest of the night went by in a blur and before I knew it, we were back in Kaname's bedroom. Or I guess I should say, our bedroom, now it was also mine. I leaned against the window looking out at the slowly awakening world. Kaname came up behind me and softly kissed the back of my neck. "You're not afraid of me now to, are you?"

I smiled looking into his eyes. "No, I'm not." I think I should have been but I wasn't. I turned back to the window. The sky was just turning pink and purple as the sun slowly rose. My fingers traced along the glass. I felt I had just lost something of great importance. Something I hadn't even known I'd had until it was to late and it was gone.

"Zero, come to bed."

I let the heavy velvet drape fall back into place sealing out the traces of daylight and turned to the massive bed, sliding between the silk sheets. He reached out, gathering me into his arms and pulling me close. Our bodies fit together and I felt his breathe softly on my neck. "Don't be sad." He pulled me tighter. "It's a beginning, not an end." I sighed and let my eyes close, a beginning, yes it was, hanging on to that thought with all my being, I let sleep take me.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Life fell into a strange new routine. With each passing day, or rather night, I became more used to everything. The lavish surroundings, the upside-down schedule and even the other vampires became the new normal. Yuki would find some reason for dropping by and was continually sneaking up the servant steps to be with us. At least once a week the headmaster would create some excuse and have us come over to his apartment for dinner.

I never imagined the secrets that Kaname was keeping from us, keeping from me, until it happened. The ironic thing is that I was the catalyst that set it all in motion without even knowing, I played into fate's hands and fate is a fickle mistress that won't be denied.

Yuki had appeared on the fourth floor, this time complaining that she needed help with her math studies. The three of us sat down in the library and back and forth, Kaname and I helped her through the problems. I'm not sure why but Kaname went into the other room to fetch something and it was just Yuki and I alone, just like the old times.

"Yuki, do you want some tea?"

"Yes, please."

I refilled my cup and took a new one for her, putting in a generous amount of cream and sugar like she liked. As I passed her the cup, she froze and her eyes glazed over. She screamed, the cup falling and shattering on the ground as she fell to her knees.

I rushed over and put my arm around her. She was shaking and crying. "Yuki what's wrong? What's the matter?"

She grabbed my hand. "It was blood. Blood everywhere. The cup was filled with blood and then I looked up and the walls were painted with it. It was dripping down, red so dark it looked black and I could smell it."

I hugged her close to me, not knowing what to say or do. I wasn't sure what was happening to her but it was getting worse. I brushed her hair back. "It will be okay."

Kaname rushed in from the other room. Our eyes met and I could see the worry. "What happened?"

I moved Yuki over to the couch and pushed her down. "She had another hallucination." I grabbed him, pulling him back so Yuki couldn't hear us. "You know something, tell her. She's getting worse, not better. She needs to know what happened that night. Maybe that will finally unlock her memories."

His eyes held such a deep sadness. "You don't know what you're asking me to do."

No, I didn't and even now I think back and I wonder and I doubt but then the three of us were caught up in something we couldn't stop, something that had been set in motion years before. "Please help her."

He sighed and looked from her to me. "All right. I knew this time was going to come. Zero please wait out in the hall and let me talk to her alone."

That stopped me for a moment, why did he want me to leave? What did he have to say that I couldn't hear? Feeling slightly jealous and slightly betrayed, I left the room and closed the door, leaning against the wall in the hallway.

I was studying an oil painting that hung on the wall across from me, trying to figure out if it was depicting a sunset or a sunrise when it happened. I felt it happen. It was as if a lightening bolt had struck the ground in front of me. The hair stood up on my arms, the ground trembled and the smell was instantly different and I knew what he had done. I turned and the anger I felt spilled out, the door cracked down the middle, one half falling uselessly to the floor as the other hung by broken hinges. I was seeing what I prayed I wouldn't see, his fangs buried in her neck. "No! What did you do?" I rushed over to them and he pulled away and she opened her eyes, they were red. "What did you do? How could you? You turned her? I'll kill you! I'll kill us all! That's what should have been done a long time ago."

I went to reach for Bloody Rose but as soon as I had voiced my desire, as soon as the thought had come into my head, the pain came. A hundred knives, a thousand knives being shoved into my brain, I cried out, falling to my knees, cradling my head that felt like it was going to explode. It was that damn spell, I couldn't even think of hurting him. My own body attacked me, beating me down, beating me into submission.

Yuki looked like she was waking up from a long sleep and blinked her eyes in confusion. That's when I noticed it. Her aura, her presence, her scent, she was like him but that was impossible. None of this could be happening. My fight or flight instinct seriously hampered by the magic kicked in and I turned and did the only thing I could do, I ran. I just wanted to be as far away from them as I possibly could.

I almost made it to the end of the hallway and then it was like I hit a brick wall. I fell flat on the ground crying out once again, more pain, it seemed even more intense. My whole body was on fire and I couldn't move. It was that fucking spell again, the proximity effect, I couldn't even run away. I curled up, eyes squeezed shut and teeth gritted, hands pulling at my hair, I was crying but I wasn't even sure why - the pain, the lovely trap I had put myself in, the betrayal of what he had done, the loss of the only pure and perfect thing left in my life. The pain slowly faded and I knew he was getting closer.

"Zero."

"Just leave me alone." I opened my eyes and slid back, bracing myself against the wall. Blood was running down my face, I think I had broken my nose when I fell. "Get away from me." But of course, he never listened and he only came forward sitting beside me. I was too exhausted to move, it felt like I had run a marathon. He reached out for my hand and I snatched it away. "Don't touch me."

"Zero, listen, I can explain."

"I don't want your explanations, you took the only pure and beautiful thing in our lives and you made her into a monster just like us and I would kill us all right now if I could." I cried out doubling over as the knives came back and then I was laughing and crying. "See, see, I can't even think about lifting a finger against you, your little binding spell, works like a charm. But that's exactly where you want me, isn't it? Laying broken at your feet."

Before I could move away he grabbed me and held me tight and I didn't have the strength or the will to pull away. I couldn't stop crying. My face was buried in his hair and neck and my tears were making everything hot and wet and still I couldn't stop.

"I didn't turn her. I woke her up. It was something that had to be done eventually, her mind was cracking and if the door hadn't been opened, she would have gone insane." He pulled me back and wiped my face. "Stop crying, I never wanted to hurt you, I never wanted to hurt her. She's different and I know you sense that to, I saw your face when you realized it. She is a pure blood vampire. She has always been a pure blood vampire."

I shook my head. "That's impossible. She was a human. I know she was a human."

He nodded. "Yes, she was."

My eyes blurred and the tears spilled over running down my face. He reached out and wiped them away. "Stop. Stop. Just let me explain, I'll tell you everything now. I already told you how my uncle targeted my family. He was coming for Yuki, he was coming for my sister."

My mouth fell open. "What? No?"

He held up a finger to my lips. "Shhh, just for now, let me finish. Then I'll answer your questions." He pushed the hair out of my face and sighed heavily looking at the ceiling. "My parents, our parents, hid Yuki away, keeping her a secret because years before my uncle Rido had already captured and killed their first child. They locked her away in a room with no windows and she was never allowed to go outside but still she was a happy child. She was always laughing and smiling and never sad about her forced confinement. Rido found out, I'm still not exactly sure how and he came for her that night. Our father died battling with him. Meanwhile my mother made a very painful choice, she would die so Yuki and I could live. She used ancient magic, forbidden magic and with the last of her life force she sealed Yuki's vampire genes and made her human. With the change, Yuki's past was also sealed, she lost all her memories, she didn't know who I was, she didn't even know her own name. It was never meant to be a permanent solution, it was a stop gap, a way to hide her from Rido until hopefully we could defeat him. I attacked Rido, almost killing him and then I took Yuki and ran. I did what my mother told me to do and took her to Kaien Cross. Ever since that day for ten years, I've been looking after her and protecting her the best that I can."

I couldn't even think. It was to impossible, to huge, to monstrous, Yuki had always been a vampire and had only been hidden away as a human.

Kaname looked uncomfortably at the floor. "There's more I need to tell you and you won't like it. Yuki was born to be my fiancée. Now that she has awoken, she will take her place by my side."

I felt like I was going to throw up, everything snatched away in one day. "You don't want me anymore. You're breaking up with me. Well you just need to kill me now then. I can't live forever, a third wheel, tied to you in the shadows while I watch you two live some twisted happy little life."

He grabbed both my shoulders tightly, fingers digging in. "No, I'm not saying that and I never would. Yes, I'll marry Yuki, yes, I'll be the father for her children but that is because I have to. The pure blood line needs to carry on and I'll do what is expected of me. I'll do what I have to do. Yes, I love Yuki but it's different. She is my sister. The same way she is your sister and you love her."

I shook my head. "I'm not planning on marrying her. That's just…" My voice faltered.

"It's barbaric, it's horrible, it's the greatest sin that could be committed. Yes, in the human world." He held my face. "We're not in the human world. We aren't humans." His finger trailed down my cheek. "And neither are you anymore. Just because those are my plans doesn't change anything between us. I want you Zero. I need you. I want you by my side forever." His finger traced lightly over my lips. "I love you."

My breathe caught and my chest felt tight. I had waited for him to say those words for so long but why did it have to be at a time like this? He kissed me then, deeply, passionately taking my breathe away and making me lose myself, making my arguments and protests fall away. After everything, after the things I couldn't even process, he loved me, he wanted me. That was my life raft, the one thing I could hold on to and not lose myself, not lose my sanity.

He broke the kiss, his hand still tangled in my hair and I noticed Yuki stood by us. She dropped to her knees and put an arm around each of us. "Are you okay Zero? You aren't mad, are you?" She hugged us close. "We can be together now, the three of us, forever." She pulled back looking into my eyes. "We can be happy. I know you would never admit it but you have been happier these last few weeks with Kaname than I have ever seen you. Let me join the two of you Zero, please?"

I looked from him to her. "You are okay with all of this? Marrying your brother and then him and I together too?" It was the strangest thing I had ever heard of, I felt like I was a Mormon bride or in some desert land where I had just been sold into a harem. Oh my God, a harem, Reginald, what had I gotten myself into?

She smiled at me. "Jealous?"

"No, I'm not jealous." Yes, I was very jealous but would never admit it. But he had said it was different, he chose her because he was expected to, because he felt he had to, he chose me because he wanted to.

They both said in unison, "Yes you are." But it wasn't with malice, they were both smiling, they both looked happy and hopeful. I felt myself wavering. Why not? What the hell did I have to lose? I did love them both. In different ways, yes but being beside my two best friends forever didn't seem like a bad way to live.

I turned to Yuki. "You always did steal my things when we were little."

She smiled at me. "Shared. We shared our things."

Kaname got to his feet first, pulling both of us up with him. "There are a lot of details to work out. Let me call the headmaster first." He turned into the library leaving the two of us alone.

I turned to her. "Are you happy Yuki? Is this what you truly want?"

She smiled. "Yes Zero, I am. It's like a door has been opened in my mind. Everything fits together now. I'm not scared anymore." She turned and hugged me. I wrapped my arms around her and squeezed back and then she bit me.

"Yuki! What are you…" I tried to push her away but she bit down harder and giggled. "Yuki!" And then I couldn't push her away, I didn't want to push her away. It was pleasurable and felt good but it was different than when Kaname bit me. This is what it felt like when a friend or family member bit you.

She pulled away and smiled, licking the blood from her lips. "That's payback. Now I can bite you. But seriously I'm glad, he loves you and you love him. I can taste it in the blood."

Later that night, just before daybreak I stood in the shower. My forehead pressed against the cool tiles and my eyes closed, just letting the hot water flow over my body. My mind was still a jumble of thoughts I didn't even want to acknowledge. I faintly heard movement but I wasn't really paying attention.

Then he was behind me, naked and wet pressing against my back. "Kaname, what are…" He didn't answer, instead pinning me against the wall, his hands catching my wrists. He bit down on my neck while at the same time pushing inside me. His hard length going deeper and deeper. I whimpered the pain flaring both in my neck and lower. Then he was completely inside me and started to move. I whimpered again, the pain sliding away into a delicious friction that continued to build and build. Then too soon it was over and I felt him shudder against my body, his fingernails digging into my wrists.

He spun me around and now my back was pressed against the cool tiles. He kissed me and I could taste my own blood on his lips. "I'm sorry if I hurt you. I just couldn't help myself." He kissed me again. "I was trying to be gentle and take my time. Go slowly with you but then tonight I thought I had lost you." He rubbed himself up against me like a cat. "I needed you. I needed everything and I couldn't wait any longer. I had to make you completely mine." His face slid up to my ear. "You gave me everything so let me give you something in return."

He slid down onto his knees and before I could protest his mouth was on me. His skilled tongue running up and down my hardness before he enveloped me, devouring me, hot and wet sliding up and down, making my knees go weak. My hands tangled in his hair pushing him down further, deeper until I made him gag. I made him move faster, picking up the rhythm, feeling the light touch of his fangs move over the most sensitive part of my body. The tension building in the pit of my stomach until it was too much and I was falling over the edge, exploding my whole body signing out.

Completely wasted, completely sated, I slid down the wall to the floor and into his arms. I closed my eyes, the hot water still pouring over us and I was exactly where I wanted to be. I knew then that I would follow this man to hell if I had to no matter what happened.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Just as I had arrived on the fourth floor and never left, Yuki now followed suit. There were several rooms that Kaname wasn't using so he had the room next to ours converted into a lavish suite to suit the new pure blood princess. Life again changed, instead of the two of us, now most of the time it was the three of us, although Kaname did spend time alone with Yuki or I each day.

The proximity effect continued to widen with time but it still was only at about 50 feet so that put a damper on any long range solo ventures for any of us. He couldn't leave me and I couldn't leave him and he kept a tight range on Yuki because he feared for her safety.

The one consolation he gave me in this new living arrangement was that I was the only one that shared his bed. Yuki's room was next to ours and there was an adjoining door. Sometimes he would leave me during the day but he always came back. I always woke with him by my side.

No, it wasn't normal but I tried not to overthink it. This was my life now and I had made an unbreakable bond. It wasn't that I was unhappy, I had a family again. I did love them both so much it made my heart ache. I loved them in different ways but still I was willing to die for either of them. It's just I wasn't born a vampire, I was still a strange creature stuck between two worlds. The human me still got jealous, the human me still felt a deep sadness and betrayal at having to share but I tried to push that part down. I had made my choice and this was the cross I had to bear. I couldn't blame or hate Yuki for it, if anything I blamed myself.

Again, we fell into a pattern, we fell into a rhythm, a new normal was established. Of course, the rest of the night class students accepted Yuki easier than they accepted me. It was to be expected, suddenly another pure blood was in their realm and they had a princess to go with their prince.

Well at least most of them were accepting, Ruka and Hanabusa again were the two hold outs, not wanting to admit the annoying Yuki Cross was actually Yuki Kuran, Kaname's sister. The first time we had made our way down the grand staircase the two of them had sat whispering in the corner. I had caught the gist of the conversation as they had compared Kaname to his ancestor Reginald with his habit for collecting pretty toys. I wondered then if there was more truth to that than the jealousy they felt for being snubbed again.

Our short-lived peace was shattered late one evening near day break by Akatsuki hammering on the door. He was disheveled and wild-eyed smelling of fresh blood. "Lord Kaname, there is a messenger downstairs in the library. He is gravely wounded and demanding an audience." He looked worriedly at me and then looked away. "I think you should see him, all three of you, now. Aido and I confined the other students to their rooms. You won't be bothered."

Kaname motioned for us to follow him and made his way out the door. He said sadly, "I've been both expecting and dreading this day." I wasn't sure if he was speaking to us or himself.

As we approached the library the smell of blood was over powering and overwhelming. Just the scent made my body yearn for something I couldn't have and for the first time in many days I was appalled at what I now was, what I had chosen to be. A distant part of me wondered if I shouldn't have just ended it all long ago with Bloody Rose. If I should have just let her take me away from this world of darkness I now inhabited.

We entered the library and I could dimly see a figure barely standing by the fireplace, wearing a long black trench coat with the hood pulled over his head. I could sense immediately that something was wrong. There was something so familiar about him, the stance, the smell, the aura of the man before us.

Nothing could have prepared me for when he turned around and faced us. As our eyes met across the dim room, I knew why he had been so familiar to me. The messenger was my other half, my twin, the brother I had thought I had lost all those years ago.

"Zero, so nice to see you again."

I felt light headed and my mouth had gone dry, I tried to swallow. "I thought you were dead."

He laughed with no real humor and moved aside the heavy coat. There was an ugly wound on his left side slowly oozing a deep red blood. Most of his left side was heavily coated, looking black and wet in the low light. "Sorry to disappoint you but just give it a few minutes. Stomach wound, a death sentence but a nice slow, painful one." He held up a finger to me and stumbled forward catching himself on the back of the sofa. "One moment dear brother, let me deliver my message than we can chat some more." He turned to Kaname. "Lord Kaname, Lady Yuki," with some trouble he bowed deeply, "my master Lord Rido bids you greeting and would like to announce his attention of visiting your humble abode tomorrow evening. Please excuse the fact that this message is delivered by a lowly, worthless human but he did add that you are free to devour me if it is your will."

Ichiru turned back towards me, painfully pulling himself closer, clinging to the sofa for support. I couldn't move. Why couldn't I move? The past just kept playing over and over in my head. It had been easier to accept when I thought he was dead. Even that last image I had of him, smiling from the doorway, it had been easier to accept when I had thought he had just been tricked and then murdered later by that she devil but being alive all this time. How could he?

He was only a foot away from me now and smiling again, blood running from the corner of his mouth. "Zero, look at you now, the pampered pet of a pure blood. Oh, how the mighty have fallen, I guess we aren't that different are we? I do wonder though what our parents would think if they could see you now?"

I took a step back away from him and hit the wall. "Don't you talk about our parents. You have no right to, not after you fed them to that woman!"

He tried to lunge at me but it was more of a stumble and he fell forward, instinct or habit or a long-forgotten love made me catch him and hold him up. "No! You have no right to call her that! You call her by her name, Lady Shizuka. The only one that ever loved me."

Blood was staining my hands red, running down my arms. I slid to the floor cradling my brother. "No Ichiru, I always loved you."

He reached up and touched my face, his words were beginning to slur together. "You did, didn't you? It's too bad all I could feel for you was jealousy and hate. Before I die, I wanted to let you know what happened and although I don't deserve it, I want to ask you to do a few things for me."

I brushed the bloody hair away from his eyes. "What is it?"

He smiled at me again. "Your new master is keeping secrets from you brother. He's the one that slayed Shizuka, devouring her and her power. I hate him too but I think I hate the one I'm serving now even more. It's his fault Shizuka's lover was killed, he's the one that pushed her over the edge. After her death, I went to serve him. I foolishly thought I could get close and kill him, that I could avenge her." He laughed, coughing up blood, "I was a fool. Zero, kill him for me." He pulled me closer. "The last thing I want to ask you, please kill me. Drink my blood, devour me so we can be one again. I never wanted to be parted from you. I always thought it was a cruel trick that we were born separate."

I shook my head. "I can't do that. You can't ask me to kill you. No matter what, you're my brother and I love you."

"I'm going to die no matter what. Do this last thing for me. Make me happy, make us one again."

"No, no, I can't. You don't know what you are asking me to do."

He nodded. "I do, that's why I brought this with me." From inside his jacket he grabbed a small knife and plunged it into my shoulder.

The pain was instant and burning, a firebrand shoved deep within me. From across the way, Yuki was crying my name and trying to run to my side but Kaname held her back. With great difficulty I pulled the blade from my shoulder and dropped it to the ground, my hand burning from touching it. "A vampire weapon? You just stabbed me with a vampire weapon. Why?" The blood was running down my own arm now, the wound throbbing dully and refusing to close.

"Because now you have no choice, you need blood to heal. For once in your life, you need me. Don't let it go to waste." His eyes were beginning to roll back in his head and his grip was loosening on my jacket. I knew he was telling the truth, he was dying and there was nothing I could do to stop it. "Please, Zero, for me, one last thing for me."

A single moment that seemed to stretch into eternity. As my own blood flowed from the knife wound, I knew he was right. I had to do it. Tears rolled down my face as I pulled him closer and bit deeply into his neck. I wasn't sure what I expected, it was just like Ichiru to make me hate myself more than I already did but as I drank his blood, devoured the life essence of my brother all I felt was love. In those last moments, he was thinking of the two of us together as children, holding each other, much as we held each other now. Then all to soon, he was gone. I held a quickly cooling corpse. My tears splashing down on a face that was so like mine although now it was still and calm in death.

I'm not sure how long I sat there in a daze. Eventually they pulled me away from him. I fought back but only halfhearted. I felt so drained, so tired, so empty, so completely and utterly alone. I felt detached from my body, my brain somewhere far above me.

Somehow Kaname and Yuki got me back up the steps, Yuki clinging and crying almost as much as me. At the top he pushed her away with some whispers and steered me into the bathroom. I stood there numb and let him fill up the tub and undress me. He pushed me into the hot water and I collapsed, huddled in the corner with my knees pulled up to my chest, hugging them tightly.

He took his coat off and rolled up his sleeves and took a wash cloth, sitting beside the tub. He washed the blood off and wiped the tears away, whispering to me softly, again and again, that it would be okay. I sat there for a long time, as the hot water cooled to warm and finally to cold. All that time, he sat with me, arms wrapped around me from behind, head resting on my bare back, waiting for me. The cold needled through the thick, dead shell I had erected around me and I knew I wanted to move again, I had to move again. I turned, throwing my arms around him, burying my face in his hair and neck, getting him sopping wet with cold bath water but he didn't even flinch.

He gathered me up and wrapped a towel around both of us, depositing me in the bed and also wrapping the thick blankets around me. He took his clothes off and slide in naked beside me, pulling me closer, warming me with the heat of his body. I clung to him like a life raft. In the back of my mind, I worried over what Ichiru had said but right now I couldn't even fully process it all. I hung on to the one thing that was keeping me sane and somehow eventually fell asleep.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

"How was that even possible? I drank his blood and I feel fine." No that wasn't quite right, I felt horrible. "I mean, I didn't get sick."

"So, you are awake." He shifted beside me until our foreheads were almost touching. "Some kind of a loop hole, something Reginald never thought of, technically the two of you used to be one so it's like drinking your own blood."

It made sense but I didn't feel any better. I should have been racked by terrible pain for what I had done. "Why didn't you tell me? You killed her and you must have known he was still alive, yet you didn't say anything."

A heavy sigh beside me. "I was going to, there just never seemed like a good time." He sat up, leaning on the headboard. "I know that's not a good answer. It's hard for me to explain. I've been alone for so long, the only one I could really depend on and trust was myself. I've held on to a lot of secrets."

"Why can't you trust me after everything?"

He closed his eyes. "I do trust you, more than you know. It's still hard." He turned to me, our eyes locking in the low light. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. I don't want to hurt you."

"How many more secrets do you have?"

"Only one, one that I have held on to for too long. Get up and get dressed and I'll try and explain everything to both you and Yuki. I know you haven't had time to mourn, time to process everything. If it were up to me, I would let you take as long as you needed but we can't. Time is one thing we don't have right now. Rido is coming and I need you."

He leaned over and kissed me, softly, sweetly, sadly, our lips touching making me want more. He started to pull away and I grabbed his arm. "No, stay with me, just a little while longer." I had never really been the aggressor before but right now I needed his touch more than anything. I needed his hands on my body, his lips on my neck, his skin pressed against mine, I needed to feel alive.

He didn't resist me as I pulled him back, our lips meeting again this time much more feverishly. My hands slid up his naked back and into his hair, twisting the silken strands in my fingers and pulling his head back. His lips parted under mine and I pushed my tongue into his mouth, hot and wet sliding up and over his. Desire welled up deep within me, pooling in the pit of my stomach and spreading out. I pushed him down, pinning him to the mattress and rolling on top. I kissed his collar bone and then up his neck. The temptation to bite down almost to great but I resisted, instead slowly licking up, letting my tongue trace a slow path upward.

I stopped, I wanted to hurt him but I still loved him. The impulse to inflict pain was so strong. I wanted to punish him for everything that had happened, for all the lies and the secrets, for the constant maneuvering of chess pieces. In the end, he always got what he wanted, everything fell into place. He was right, there really was a thin line between love and hate and I found myself balanced upon it. Part of me wanted to strangle him but part of me couldn't image living without him.

He sensed my hesitation and shifted, dark eyes locking with mine. "You want to hurt me? Go ahead, I can take it. Truthfully, I do deserve it. I've been tied up with your family and what has happened from the beginning but if I had to do it all over again I wouldn't change anything because I'm selfish and I want you here, with me." He paused, studying me. "Do you hate me for that?"

I sighed, rolling off of him and sitting on the edge of the bed. I felt that hot burning sensation in the back of my eyes like I was going to cry again. I didn't want to cry anymore. I rubbed them hard with the heel of my hand. "No, I don't hate you."

His fingers rubbed lightly over my back. "Good. Go get dressed, we have a lot to discuss."

The three of us met later in the library. Yuki and I sat on one side of the table but Kaname seemed full of nervous energy and just paced up and down the room. Finally, he stopped and faced us. "Alright, what I have to tell you is I'm Yuki's brother and I'm not Yuki's brother."

I shook my head. "What? That makes no sense." I looked over at Yuki who looked as bewildered as I did.

"But Kaname, I remember you. From my earliest memories, playing with me, taking care of me, reading to me."

He nodded. "I know. It's complicated. I'll try to explain it as best I can. Juri and Haruka named their first child after me. I think that is what gave Rido the perverse idea in the beginning. He was visiting them shortly after the birth when he stole the child away. He went to the Kuran family crypt far beneath the manor. That is where he found me, in a coffin where I had been sleeping for hundreds of years. His plan was to sacrifice the child to wake me up and then before I returned to full power, destroy me and gain more supremacy. I think in his deluded mind he thought if he could pull it off then he could have Juri for himself. His plan didn't go so smoothly. He killed the baby and I woke up but I still had enough presence to defy him and fight back. He panicked and ran leaving me with the last of my strength quickly failing. The only way I could survive was to take what was left of that child and combine myself with him. I once again became an infant and my memories were sealed. Haruka and Juri found me and pieced together what happened. They decided to take me in and raise me as their own. For many years my only glimpses of the past were strange vivid dreams and déjà vu. Slowly it all came back and I put the puzzle back together. Truly I'm the first of the Kuran clan, the progenitor." He stopped and looked at us both. "Does that make sense?"

I turned to Yuki and our eyes met. I saw the same confusion and bewilderment mirrored there. She turned back to Kaname. "Then you are my brother but then also my ancestor? My God, how old are you?"

"Thousands of years, although for a great chunk of that time I was asleep."

I was momentarily speechless, it was crazy to think the Kaname I had known, the one that I had watched grow up over the years was actually an ancient creature. It was like trying to comprehend the size of the universe or the concept of eternity, I could conceptualize it but it still made my head hurt.

He turned to me. "Zero, you're quiet."

I looked up at his worried face. I could understand why someone wouldn't want to share this information, even with someone you loved. "It's all so…well it's a lot. I knew I was dating an older man, just not that much older."

Kaname winced and bit his lower lip. "If it makes the two of you feel better, to me this life is more real than that past. I feel almost as if the person I remember died a long time ago. For me this is like a second chance."

I looked back at Yuki. I could understand that, I think we were all living a second chance, something completely different from where we thought we would end up. We had both been human for a fleetingly brief time. Even though she was born a vampire, this world was still strange and new to her. Her secluded vampire childhood was really no preparation for where she was now.

I nodded and Yuki followed suit. "I understand." Some version of all of us had died but we had this, we had the present. We had the future. We could let go of the past.

He looked slightly happier though still doubtful. He turned and started pacing again. "I told both of you because I want to be truthful. I don't want to hide anything but there is another reason." He stopped and turned directly toward me. "Zero I need you to kill him. Because Rido woke me up, I can't do it. I can rip him limb from limb but I can't deal the killing blow. I need your help."

Just as I was about to answer him, Yuki sprain to life. She stood up knocking the chair down behind her, her hands hitting the desk so hard she cracked the wood. "I'm helping too! I can fight!"

Kaname folded his arms. "No Yuki, it's too dangerous."

I put my hand out and rested it lightly on her arm. "He's right, stay where it is safe."

She ignored both our comments and shook my hand off. "If you two think I'm playing princess in the tower while you fight, you are sadly mistaken." She folded her arms and glared at Kaname. "Because I'm not!"

He glared back for a moment but then started to smile and then to laugh.

Yuki stomped her foot. "Kaname Kuran you stop laughing at me right now or I'll come over there and show you just how capable I am."

He waved her back down. "Sit down Yuki. You win. I should have known there would be no telling you what to do." He looked from her to me. "Both of you are so damn stubborn, maybe that's why I love you so much."

He sat down across from us now and folded his hands on top of the table. "There really isn't much strategy in this fight. It's more stay alive and kill them all. He will be here tonight with a small army of mind-controlled slaves. They will fight to the death. I wanted the students evacuated but we didn't have time. Instead Cross put them in the underground cellars of the main building. Most of the night class is guarding and protecting them. Cross called Yagari yesterday and he should be here any minute. Cross, Yagari and a few of the night class will help us with the main assault. The two of you focus on Rido. Kill him and you break the mind control on the others. The rest of us will cover you and take out as many of his army as possible."

Well that seemed straight forward enough, kill or be killed. I could do it. I would do it, for Kaname, for Ichiru and for my parents. Tonight, we would lay the past to rest.

Kaname looked to the ornate clock on the mantle. "We still have a few hours before I think he will get here and I have look outs posted along the road so we should have plenty of prior notice. Both of you get something to eat and try and get some rest. I'm going to go see Cross to finalize the preparations." He looked at each of us one final time and then turned and was gone.

I started to get up, not really sure what I should do but knowing if I just sat and thought it wouldn't be good. I had to keep myself busy somehow. Before I could go, Yuki's arm shot out and grabbed me. "Zero I need your help."

"Okay."

"Come here." She kept her grip tight and half dragged me out of the room, down the hall and into her bedroom. She stopped before a writing desk and opened a side drawer. Artemis lay in the drawer looking small and innocent. "I can't touch her. Ever since I turned, she shocks the hell out of me every time I try to pick her up. I couldn't even put her in the damn drawer. Zero what do I do? How can I fight without Artemis?"

"I'm sorry. I don't know what you should do. She has never let me touch her either. The same thing happens."

She looked like she might cry. "But you have to know. Bloody Rose listens to you. Did you ever have any problems with her?"

I shook my head. "No but then Cross gave her to me after I had already been bitten. What can I say? I think she is just as twisted and messed up as I am. We understand each other." I thought about it for a moment. "Wait, you are still the same person. You need to just focus all that energy into your intention. You need to make Artemis understand."

She looked at me doubtfully. "You think so?"

"Yes, go ahead, try it."

She took a deep breath and reached tentatively out. As her fingers almost brushed the surface there was a slight crackle and she pulled back. "Ow. That didn't work."

I sighed. "Yuki, you aren't trying. Reach out and grab it, put everything into it that you have and if she tries to shock you, hang on tighter. You need to make her understand."

She stood there for a moment and then closed her eyes. This time as her hand reached out it did so with a purpose. Her fingers curled around Artemis and I could hear the electricity sizzle as it tried to fight back but this time she did what I had told her, she hung on. "Artemis you will listen to me. You will obey. I'm still the same person." She swung her arm out and with a flick of her wrist the rod extended to it's full length still sizzling and popping. She grabbed on with her other hand. "Obey Artemis." She swung the rod over and around and it changed again. This time the end morphed into a wicked looking scythe, curved and jagged. It looked almost to large for her to weld. The crackling stopped and she smiled.

"That's new. I guess you understand each other now."

She held it up, admiring its new form. "I guess we do." One hand trailed lovingly along the shaft. "Thank you Zero."

I shook my head. "That was all you Yuki. You just needed the confidence. She wasn't going to let you wield her until you were ready." I kissed her forehead. "I'll see you downstairs. I'm going to try and eat something even though I'm not hungry."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

We gathered on the steps of the night dorm. It seemed far to quiet and peaceful for a battle but the advanced scouts had relied the message that they were coming. The moon was just rising, giving the landscape a surreal underwater feel. The only sounds were the insects and the tree frogs. We all stood silent, waiting.

Ruka stood front and center, her special ability was rare among aristocrats. She could control both humans and vampires to a certain extent, the weaker their mind, the more power she could wield. To her right and slightly behind her was Hanabusa, he could manifest ice at will. His ability could be deadly as both a weapon and a defensive measure. Akatsuki stood to Ruka's left. No matter the danger or even if he agreed with the fight, he would always stand by her side. He made a good juxtaposition with Aido, as Hanabusa controlled ice, he controlled fire. The three of them were probably the most powerful of the night class and also the most loyal to Kaname. It didn't surprise me to find them here on the front lines.

Behind them a trio of a different sort, Kaname stood in the center but slightly behind us. I stood to his right and Yuki to his left. Both of us as prepared as we could be to finish a fight that had started over twenty years ago. Behind us, flanking farther out was Kaien to the right and Yagari to the left. Cross with mixed feelings had taken out his famed vampire sword from storage. He was being forced to put his pacifist ideals on pause for tonight. Toga as always had his large gun slung over one shoulder, his face expressionless just staring at that winding drive in front of us.

One minute they weren't there and the next, they were streaming out from all directions. They must have circled around through the forest that surrounded the academy. Kaname had told Yuki and I to hold, our main focus was Rido. We weren't to engage anyone else unless absolutely necessary. His job was to protect us. The others would take care of the noise of the vampire slaves he had created.

Ruka immediately strode forward fearlessly like a conquering queen, hands raised making the attackers kill themselves or each other. Aido and Kain tried to keep pace with her picking off the faster ones or the ones coming from either side. As they went down the steps we followed slightly behind, there just in case something went south.

It was hard to just stand by and watch and wait but I understood the strategy. If we were too involved ourselves with this initial onslaught, Rido could swoop in and one wrong step would mean this fight meant nothing. Still I held Bloody Rose in my hand with more ammunition in my coat pockets, tense and at the ready.

Most of this first wave looked like freshly turned vampires, mindlessly throwing themselves at us with no weapons or skills. Although there were some vampires at the edges that looked deadly, it seemed that Rido had captured a few hunters and turned them and they still had their vampire weapons. Kain took out the two I had seen to the left before they could get into firing range. The one on the right was worrying me. Aido was still dealing with a large group in front of him and I watched as the previous hunter got closer and closer. Unlike the others, he was using his training and dodging behind trees and even using the other vampires as cover. I glanced back, Ruka was a blazing target, front and center, her long blonde hair and all white outfit clearly outlining her in the moonlight.

When I looked back, he had the arrow in his crossbow and was taking aim. I knew exactly what he was doing because it's what I would have done. I didn't think, I just moved, breaking our formation and reaching out for her while at the same time brining Bloody Rose up to aim. I just made it, hooking an arm around her and pulling her back against me as the arrow whizzed by. He didn't have enough time to reload and right now he was the perfect target. I took him down with a bullet to the chest and let her go.

She seemed to come out of a daze, looking from his disintegrating body to me. "You saved me. Why would you do that?"

"We are on the same team you know?"

For the first time, Ruka truly smiled at me. "Yes, we are." Then she turned and again took her place by Kain and Aido.

I stepped backward beside Kaname, expecting to get yelled at but instead he laid a hand on my back. "Thank you for saving Ruka. I didn't see him either, you are a good hunter."

I scanned through the crowd again and that's when I saw him. There was no mistaking Rido. He was casually walking through the middle of the crowd, looking neither left nor right like he was taking a Sunday stroll. He was also bizarrely dressed, looking like a cross between a rock star and a hippie. He had tight black leather pants, his shirt completely unbuttoned blowing in the wind and he was barefoot. As he got closer the family resemblance was definite, he was an older more haggard version of Kaname except for his eyes. One eye was a reddish-brown and the other was an icy blue, both shown with madness and a clear contempt for everything they saw.

Kaname placed one hand on each of our shoulders pulling Yuki and I slightly back. "Let him get closer. He's not one to just attack. He loves to showboat and hear the sound of his own voice."

Sure enough, he stopped and then holding up both hands, snapped his fingers. Everything fell into silence and froze around us.

Kaname whispered behind us. "Told you. That has got to be incredibly draining. He's still a cocky fool."

I looked back towards Kaname and then to Yuki, before sweeping my eyes around the field. He had frozen the entire battle except for the three of us.

Yagari was grunting behind us, trying and failing to fight the mind control. "I can't move a god damned muscle! Cross?"

"No, sorry Toga. He has us all."

"Fucking pure bloods!" Then as if realizing what he had just said. "No offense Kaname."

"None taken. He gives us all a bad name."

Rido continued to stroll through his field of living statues until he was at the foot of the steps, his eyes never leaving Kaname's face. He shifted his gaze to the three young aristocrats in front of him. "Cute appetizer but boring." He waved a hand and the three of them were swept off the stairs and into the bushes at the side.

I tensed, almost moving but Kaname squeezed his hand holding me back. "Steady. They will be okay."

Rido rubbed his hands together eyeing us. "Now for the main course." He rose a hand and then stopped, head tilting to one side looking confused. "I can't control them! Well Kaname, you don't disappoint. Maybe you really are the progenitor of Kuran. I always thought that legend was just a bunch of shit and you were some random ancient ancestor who hid away because you were too afraid to live. Your two little pets truly love you. They would both die for you. You know I was coming here to simply slaughter everyone but now, now I've changed my mind. I think I'll keep them and break them. It will take time but eventually it will happen and time is the one thing I have in excess. Don't worry Kaname, I'll keep you alive, to observe. You can sit, starved and chained in a pretty cage at my feet and watch as I take one and then the other again and again and again."

"Brave words for a man who has already failed two times before."

Rido held up a finger and smiled. "Ahh but third times a charm."

I could feel Yuki getting more and more pissed beside us and I was a little afraid she would do something rash. "Enough pig! I can't believe a creature like you is actually my uncle. I'm going to enjoy killing you." With that she swung Artemis out and it extended to it's new full length, blade glinting in the moonlight.

Rido's expression never changed. "The sweet little princess has Juri's blade. You look just like her. I think after you belong to me, I'll rename you. You should have her name." He looked to me. I now had Bloody Rose leveled at his heart. "Your other one also has a vampire hunting weapon." He reached behind his back and pulled out a katana. "I brought mine along as well. Do you recognize it Kaname? It's the one I used to kill your surrogate father, my brother. He turned it so the moonlight caught the edge. "You have to admit we are a perverse family, makers and wielders of the very things that can destroy us. All right children, let's get this over with, I'll try not to hurt you too badly. I'll save that for later when we are alone together." Rido again snapped his fingers and the battle commenced as if it had never stopped.

Kaname pushed us both forward. "Go kill that thing but you come back to me, both of you. Focus solely on him, I'll shield you from everything else."

I looked to Yuki and our eyes met. She would be okay. Yagari had taught me but Cross had secretly trained Yuki. If there was one thing she could do, it was fight. Yuki swung high bringing Artemis down and meeting his sword. I couldn't get too close. My advantage was being just out of arm's reach. I aimed for his heart but he seemed to sense me and dodged, the bullet only slightly grazing the skin of his arm. He turned and smiled at me as he blocked Yuki's blow and pushed her aside, swinging his sword down and barely missing her.

"Damn it Yuki, be careful!" I went for a different tactic this time and aimed for his leg. If I could disable him, Yuki could deliver the killing blow. He tried to move but this time I was faster, my shot embedding itself deep in his thigh.

Rido screamed in pain or frustration, it was hard to tell which and fell to one knee. Yuki brought her scythe up going for a head shot but she was fighting with too much emotion and leaving herself wide open. Rido took the opportunity and sliced upward with his katana catching her on the side. She fell, Artemis landing beside her on the ground.

"No!" I screamed and pointed the gun at him with both hands, all the rage and frustration and worry funneling into Bloody Rose and she responded, she woke up. The gun erupted into vines, thick and green, to numerous to count and each lined with wicked thorns. They wrapped around me in almost a loving way and shot from the barrel of the gun toward Rido with a deadly purpose. They enveloped his sword arm, wherever they touched sending up plumes of smoke as they burned through his flesh, tightening until he screamed again and dropped the sword clawing desperately at the relentless vines. "Yuki now!"

She propped herself on one arm, grabbing Artemis with the other and then swinging with all her might. The blade piercing his back and plunging deep into his chest and heart. Rido quit pulling at the vines and stared dumbly at the point of the scythe sticking out of his chest. He fell to his side in the dirt, laughing, dark blood running from his mouth. Weakly, softly he whispered as tears mixed with the blood. "Better than I thought, Kaname, better than I thought." His eyes drifted close and he began to turn to ash and drift away.

The vines withdrew and Bloody Rose was once again just an unassuming looking gun. I slid her back into the holster at my side and dropped to my knees next to Yuki pulling her into an embrace. Around us the sounds of battle ceased as the mind control was broken. Most of his army was fighting against their will and now that they were freed, they either ran or pleaded for leniency.

"He told you to be careful you little idiot. Can't you ever listen?"

Yuki smiled and then winced. "It's okay, it's just a scratch."

I pulled her shirt aside, it wasn't a scratch but it wasn't too deep. Even then any wound inflicted by a vampire weapon could be deadly, even if she was a pure blood. I gathered her closer, pressing her face to my neck. "Drink Yuki, you need blood."

Without hesitation she bit deeply and I gritted my teeth against the pain just holding her and letting her have as much as she needed. Kaname ran up, hitting the ground beside us and wrapping his arms around both of us. She finally took her fangs from my neck, smiling up at both of us. "I'm fine. Don't look so scared."

Kaname looked at the sword wound. It was slowly closing. "You'll heal. It's going to be sore for a while but you should be okay." He ran a hand through my hair pulling me closer. "You're both okay. Thank you Zero."

I smiled. "Yuki is the one that delivered the killing blow."

Our foreheads met. "She couldn't have done it without you. You saved her." His grip tightened and he pulled me into a rough kiss. I whimpered, almost dropping Yuki as his tongue pushed into my mouth, more possessive and passionate than he had ever been before.

"Ahem, feeling a little left out down here. Only one still bleeding, could use a little love myself."

He broke the kiss laughing. "Yes Yuki, no one is forgetting you." He bent and kissed her too before standing and helping me to my feet, still cradling Yuki in my arms. "Do you have her?"

I stood wavering a little. "Honestly I'm light headed, she tried to drain me."

"I did not. You said drink so I did."

Kaname reached over and took her from my arms. "Here I'll take her. Let's find a place where you two can rest." We looked up at the night dorm that was half engulfed in flames. "Not there I guess."

Akatsuki, Hanabusa and Ruka walked up to us. Ruka was limping slightly but otherwise the three of them looked unharmed. Kain gestured toward the building. "Sorry, that one is my fault. When Rido froze us, I couldn't stop it and it took over."

Aido looked up at the flames. "I can try and put it out."

"Don't bother." From behind us came Cross and Yagari. Kaien looked up at the building sadly. "Let it burn, at least I'll get the insurance money." He looked down at Yuki with concern. "Is she okay?"

Kaname nodded. "Wounded but she will heal."

He brushed the hair from her forehead and kissed it. "Thank God." He turned to me and I was engulfed in a rare Cross bear hug. "You to Zero, you're okay. I was so worried."

"Thanks headmaster." I tried to carefully disentagle him. He only hugged harder.

"Why can't you call me dad? Just this once?"

I sighed and rolled my eyes but I did care for the old man. "Thanks dad."

He squeezed again. "You make me so proud Zero."

Kaname cleared his throat behind us and Cross finally relented. "Oh yes, yes, sorry. I get emotional sometimes. Here come to my apartment. We can lay Yuki down and all of you can rest. After that we can discuss our next steps." We all started to move across the lawn and then Kaien stopped looking back. "Not you Aido, sorry, make sure the fire doesn't spread."

Hanabusa threw up his hands. "Seriously? I was fighting too."

Cross patted him on the head. "And you look just peachy dear boy, now go mind the fire."

It looked like Aido was going to say something but Kaname glared at him and he winced. "Sure headmaster, I'll make sure it doesn't spread."

Cross turned to Yagari. "Can you go mind the day class students? You should be able to let them out now, the danger is gone."

Toga threw his cigarette down. "No rest for the wicked huh? I'll go take care of them for you this one time." He shook his head. "Why I listen to you all the time is beyond me." He headed off towards the main classroom and the cellars underneath the building.

When we got to the headmaster's apartment I collapsed on the couch. I was so tired, the fight and then Yuki drinking so much blood and completely wasted me. The others were all talking at once and I wanted to listen but when I closed my eyes, sweet slumber took me in her arms and didn't let me go.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

I woke up with a crick in the neck and Aido's head on my shoulder. That was… interesting. I gently pushed him off and he rolled over without waking up. There were bodies everywhere but then the headmaster's apartment wasn't exactly spacious. Ruka was asleep in the large easy chair across the way with Akatsuki half on the floor and half leaning on her legs. Cross and Yagari were on the floor in a messy nest of blankets and pillows. I figured Yuki had the bed. I wondered where Kaname was hiding?

I carefully stepped around and between them trying not to make any noises and pushed open the kitchen door. Kaname sat at the table, chin propped on his hand staring into a teacup. I slid into the chair beside him. He half smiled at me. "Feel better?"

I rubbed my neck. "Yes and no. I slept weird so now my neck is sore and I still feel a bit weak. What happened when I was asleep?"

He cocked his head to the side. "You still need blood and it would be easier to just show you."

"What? How?"

Instead of answering me he grabbed my arm and pulled. I slipped and almost fell off the chair until his other hand caught me and somehow, I ended up on his lap, legs straddling him, face to face. I smiled. "You could have just asked."

"It's more fun to see that look of surprise on your face." He pulled the hair away from his face and turned his head, offering his neck to me. "Here."

That was one thing I wouldn't turn down. I put my hands on his shoulders and leaned in my lips brushing his skin. I hadn't realized how hungry I was until now. My eyes drifted close as I licked his neck, creamy white skin with the hot blood flowing just underneath. I bit down feeling him shudder slightly beneath me as my fangs pierced his flesh, the warm liquid flooding my mouth.

This time as I drank, it was different, as if I was somewhere else, trapped in a dream or stuck in a movie. It was all around me and so real, yet I couldn't interact with it. I realized he was sharing memories with me, playing them back in my own mind as I drank his blood.

The entire night I had missed played out for me, everything he saw and heard was now relayed back. Kaien and Toga explaining how they had discovered not only vampires working for the senate in the horde that attacked us but also hunters from the association at the ready to destroy the entire campus. The president herself had attacked them, calling them traitors.

Cross after failing to reason with her had fought, not being surprised when his sword slit her open. She had been drinking so much ill-gotten vampire blood that the blade easily penetrated her body, ending her life. Somehow, they had talked the other hunters down and together realized that they had been used. The president was nothing but a puppet of the corrupt senate, only fulfilling their wishes and not protecting humanity.

Dimly from far away I heard a door scrape open and I opened my eyes pulling away. It felt like I had been deep under water and had just surfaced after holding my breath for too long. I blinked slowly coming back to myself. "Wow, I didn't know you could do that."

An exasperated sigh from the doorway made us both turn. Yagari stood in the kitchen door shaking his head. "I did not need to see that." He waved a hand at us. "It's too early, come on, some decency for an old man."

I wiped the blood off my mouth, sliding off Kaname's lap. That wasn't the position I wanted my old teacher to catch me in either, I felt my face burning, tried to stop it and felt it only get worse. I sat back in the chair next to Kaname. Toga went to the counter and started to make coffee.

He leaned over and whispered right in my ear. "You're blushing."

I pulled away, whispering back. "Would you be good?"

He caught my coat sleeve and yanked, tongue darting out and running over the outside of my ear, making my breath catch. I pushed him back with both hands. "No! Later."

He sat back smiling. "But you're cute when you blush."

Luckily Toga saved me by sitting down across from us, setting down three steaming mugs. He lit a cigarette, inhaling deeply and blowing out a stream of smoke. He looked toward Kaname. "So, when are you leaving?"

"As soon as the others wake up, we'll head to my city manor."

He nodded. "You think you can really do it? Get rid of the snakes in the senate without getting caught or causing a war?"

"I'm going to try. It's the only way to fix things without destroying the current fragile peace. I have no desire to be a King again."

My mouth fell open. "You were King?"

He nodded. "A long, long, long time ago in another lifetime, believe me it is not glamourous nor fun. When are you two leaving?"

Toga took a long drink from his coffee. "Today. We are going to close the academy and head to the association headquarters. President Cross shall take up his post and somehow or another I'm the damn vice president."

I was a little lost. "Wait president Cross? But didn't he kill the old president?"

"Yes, he did and almost got us all killed in the process and then somehow the slippery bastard worked his magic and not only were we forgiven." He rolled his eyes. "We're in charge! I have no idea how he does it. You'll keep us updated on your plans?"

Kaname nodded. Toga pointed his cigarette at me. "We'll use Zero. He has access to the association." He turned his full attention to me. "You're still a hunter boy. It's a job you don't quit, no matter what. Once you get a fuller range of mobility away from," he hesitated, gestured towards Kaname, "your…boyfriend?" He rubbed his head, looking at the ceiling. "Anyway, when that happens, you are going to have assignments again. Not as many, your main job will be as a courier between the two camps but you're still working."

"I understand." I smiled. It felt good. I wasn't just a bystander. I had a role to play in all this and no matter what I was still a hunter.

Noises from the front room told us the others were stirring now. After a few minutes the kitchen was crowded, even Yuki came out of the bedroom looking almost normal. Aido pawed at Kaname's arm. "When are we leaving? I need a shower and a real bed."

Kaname pushed him away. "Patience. Soon."

Cross his hair sticking up everywhere sat down next to Yagari. "So, all of you are going with Kaname?"

Kaname crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair. "I told them they didn't have to, that it is going to be dangerous but none of them will listen. The six of us will move into the manor and start on the senate."

Cross smiled sadly. "Be careful."

Kaname made a call and before I knew it a huge black limousine pulled up before the building. The night dorm lay in smoldering ruins so none of us had anything to pack. We only had what was on our backs. The six of us stood in front of the limo with Cross and Yagari.

Cross looked up at Kaname. "You remember everything now?"

"I do."

"I've only been cursed for a few hundred years but I think I understand the weight of time. You have something special now. You have not one but two people to stand next to you. I've never had that." He grabbed all three of us and hugged tight. "Take care of my kids Kaname. Don't hurt them."

Kaname tried to gently disentangle his arms. "I will headmaster."

"Damn it, would the three of you call me dad?"

"Umm okay. Yes dad, I will take care of them. I promise."

Cross finally let go with a big smile. "Good. Okay you can go now." He waved as we got in the car. "Have fun kids. I love you."

The academy was in the country on the outskirts of the city so we had a forty-minute car ride before we arrived at our new base of operations. I would say home but the place looked more like a renaissance hotel than a residence. It was made of ancient blocks of stone, three stories high and rambling, surrounded by a massive wall of wrought iron. As the car pulled through the gates and we drove up the winding drive, I leaned over trying to see it all.

"Wow, so this is the city home huh?"

Ruka giggled next to me. "It's actually the smallest of the Kuran estates."

A butler opened the door as our ragged band filed through. Kaname stepped in front of us. "Make yourselves at home, you can go ahead and choose any bedroom on the second or third floor. The three of us will be in the west wing suite on the second. I know everyone lost most of their things in the fire. Please make a list of what you need and sizes and give it to any of the servants and they will fill your requests. The dinning rooms are to the right, we can meet for dinner at five and start discussing some of our plans. Feel free to explore and get some rest until then."

If I had thought the moon dorm was a museum, I was wrong. This place was incredible. Everywhere was Victorian splendor, priceless antiques sat casually on end tables and thick oriental rugs covered the intricate wood floors.

The party broke up at this point with everyone heading in different directions. Kaname put his hand on my shoulder. "Go explore, I'll be upstairs if you need me."

"I'm afraid I'm going to get lost."

"Just ask someone and they will point you in the right direction."

Why not? If this was our new "home", I needed to get the lay of the land. I chose a direction at random and began to wander. The place was truly crazy. Room after room seemed to stretch on forever, sitting room, office, ballroom and even a huge solarium filled with exotic plants. Then I came to what would be my favorite place, the library. It was in the center of the mansion and opened up into all three floors. A huge circular room with no windows, the walls covered in shelf after shelf of books. The center was like a cathedral, vaulted ceiling swooping up and covered in painted murals of clouds and angels. Spiral staircases led from the ground floor to the second and third stories. At one end was a massive fireplace with a sitting area composed of leather couches and arm chairs. In front of this was a study area with high, long tables and several stools. Small lamps stood along the table at intervals for extra illumination.

I quickly became lost in the endless shelves. The library appeared to have everything from text books, classics in their original languages, modern works and even an entire section that was composed of writings by the Kuran family dating back hundreds of years.

"Zero, I swear I've been through this house twice and I can't find one television."

Yuki stood at the door to the library looking like a little kid that had lost her favorite toy.

I closed the book I had been looking at and slid it back into it's place. "I'm sure if you ask nicely, Kaname will get you one."

She brightened. "Do you think so? I really don't want to miss all my shows."

Aido popped up behind her. "No, he won't, not unless she can drastically improve her grade point average." He glared at her. "And thank you very much Yuki Kuran, it is now my job to make this impossible task happen. Say hello to your new teacher."

Yuki glared back and pointed at me. "What about Zero?"

"Kaname said he didn't need any tutoring, only you." He gestured to both of us. "He sent me to find both of you, it's time for dinner now."

I fell in behind both of them as Aido led the way to the smaller, more personal dining room that still sat twenty. At least the food was normal. As we ate Kaname began to detail our plans.

"We have to make the first move now. We need to cut the head off the serpent."

Aido looked up from his plate, clearly worried. "You're referring to Asato."

"I am."

Ruka sat her fork down. "How do you plan on getting close to the head of the Senate? He is going to be highly protected."

Kaname only smiled. "I don't plan on any of us getting close to him. I sent an invite out that I think won't be ignored. We will find out tomorrow if those bonds still exist." He held up an ornate envelope. "And it appears, news travels fast, all of us have been invited to a masquerade ball that will be thrown by Isaya Shoto. A coming out party for Yuki is the given reason but I know they only want to get a closer look at us and try and figure out what our next move is going to be."

He held up another envelope. "It appears our old headmaster is also playing along. Zero you will be working at the masquerade as well as attending. Ruka, Hanabusa, you have a month to prep, good luck."

The two blondes turned and looked at each other and then turned to Yuki and I.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Kaname only smiled at the head of the table. "You'll find out."

I rolled my eyes. Did he always have to talk in riddles?


End file.
